Research Wednesday | September 3, 2025

The Miseducation of Boys

“It is easier to build strong boys than to repair broken men.” Frederick Douglass.

The data is striking about the differences between boys and girls in schools. On average, girls are half a grade higher than boys, and the gap becomes wider with each passing grade. In schools where I have volunteered, the participation in the National Honor Society is an 8 to 1 ratio of girls over boys. As I have suggested to the faculty, I don’t mind stipulating that women are smarter than men, but I doubt that they are 8 times smarter. Something else is going on, and it is probably selection bias. It’s not just academic performance. Boys have higher suicide rates, higher dropout rates, and higher failure rates  – and this is especially prevalent among ethnic minorities.   

I’ve been skeptical of the generalizations about gender differences, but this research makes me rethink my preconceptions. Richard Reeves (no relationship) suggests that some boys, but not all, are more attracted to physical and outdoor activities than girls, and educators would be wise to respect these tendencies. We must nevertheless be careful not to engage in the stereotypes that relegate girls to subordinate positions in school leadership and sports captaincies. Lisa Almeida, our CEO, has a daughter who is a star quarterback of a championship flag football team. So, let’s put aside the stereotypes that the girls need to be in groups while the boys play sports. There’s room for everybody on the playground.  

Here’s the link:

https://www.acalltomen.org/2019-12-19-the-miseducation-of-the-american-boy/

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