On rescuing our boys
published: Tuesday | December 24, 2002
THE EDITOR, Sir:
I HAVE always been concerned about boys achieving less than girls academically in our society.
However, when I heard the Hon. Dr. Omar Davies expressing his concern on the matter and quoting percentages of passes between male and female students at the University of the West Indies, I decided to put my ideas forward. For one thing, if this situation continues, the ladies will be hard put to find suitable husbands!
In the home situation, mothers usually allow their boys too much free time to play, and take no responsibility for household chores, while girls are fully engaged in cleaning, laundering, cooking etc. In this regard, girls develop a sense of responsibility which boys miss to their disadvantage. Because of this situation, when our young men go abroad, and find it necessary to cater for themselves, they run into all kinds of problems.
Psychologically, parents need to show love to their boys as much as they do to the girls. Parents need to be careful how they display their affection between sons and daughters!
There is also an economic dimension that affects boys. In respect of their uniform, boys' shoes are more expensive than girls, and broken up more regularly. Their uniforms are made by tailors, at a reasonably high cost, whereas girls uniforms may be made by a family member, or at a lower cost, by dressmakers. There should be a system where boys who are evidently in need of support, where uniforms are concerned, are assisted. This would help immensely to secure regular attendance, and relieve stress where their appearance is concerned.
Promoting children by age, is another handicap. From observation, boys are slower learners in the lower grades, and they speed up as they become older, they actually shoot up! The system in which children were promoted according to their ability, and not by age should be restored. It worked well in former years.
We all need to make a concerted effort to encourage our boy students to fulfil their potential.
