Much has been said in the media over the past few weeks over the “boy crisis” in the American education system. A new study by Education Sector says that there really isn’t a war on boys. The Washington Post and New York Times were quick to praise the study and cry foul against those of us who are concerned about the boy crisis. Christina Hoff Sommers , Kathleen Parker, and John Leo all provided good commentary against the study, showing that there are serious problems with how the American education system handles boys, regardless of whether you label it a “crisis” or not.
Most of the debate deals with K-12 education, but higher ed should play an important part in this debate. Already girls make up 57% of college students (a figure that continues to rise). Girls are more likely to attend a 4-year institution and graduate once they get there (for every 100 women who earn a bachelor’s degree, just 73 men get one). All the while, sex-specific programing is designed to help women on campus, as if they are a vulnerable minority rather than a clear majority (think women’s centers, women’s studies, Title IX rulings, etc.). This isn’t necessarily a reason to panic, but it’s enough of an issue that we should keep a close eye on it — the “boy crisis” debate cannot be limited to K-12.