The Oregon Women's Report - Women's News from Oregon

July 14, 2008

By Gienie Assink

In classrooms across North America, there is a new trend that worries educators.  In every category and demographic group, boys are falling behind in school.  Many teachers believe boys cannot stay organized, they finish their homework but lose it in their backpacks, and they often have trouble focusing in class.  Boys are falling behind while girls are thriving.

Once again, learning differences between the sexes have become a big issue for educators.  According to the January 30, 2006 edition of “Newsweek”, “In elementary school, boys are two times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with learning disabilities an twice as likely to be placed in special-education classes.  High school boys are losing ground to girls on standardized writing tests, and the number of boys who said they didn’t like school rose 71 percent between 1980 and 2001, according to a University of Michigan study.”

According to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education, male enrollment, performance and work ethic at colleges and universities is also down across the board.  Thirty years ago, men represented 58 percent of the undergraduate body.  Currently, men are a minority on campus at 44 percent.

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