Why Are We So Comfortable Watching Boys Fail?

A frequent concern is the need for more male teachers in schools, where currently only 23% of educators are men—a figure that continues to decline. In her recent New York Times opinion piece, "The Boy Crisis is Overblown”, feminist writer Jessica Grose dismisses the concerns of a shortage of male teachers as exaggerated, arguing that focusing on this issue unfairly blames female educators and harms girls and women.

I find Grose’s argument, filled with gaslighting and cherry-picked data, to be very dangerous and misleading. Let’s be clear: Advocating for more male teachers isn’t about blaming female teachers. It’s about recognizing that boys will benefit from male role models who can guide them toward adulthood, especially in these concerning modern times. This issue should not be framed as anti-women.

There is increasing alarm over the influence of figures like Andrew Tate on boys and young men, contributing to a troubling rise in misogyny within our schools. Jessica Grose herself previously highlighted the dangers of this trend in another opinion piece. Increasing the presence of male educators could help counteract this growing issue. However, her latest article, which downplays the need for more men in schools, is perplexing and suggests an unwillingness to fully confront the problems, prioritizing a feminist perspective on issues of the day over comprehensive solutions.

The boy crisis in education is not solely attributed to the shortage of male teachers, as Jessica focuses on in her essay. This issue encompasses much more complexity.

Boys have experienced a significant academic decline over recent decades, falling far behind their female counterparts at every level of education. It’s not exactly trendy to say out loud that our boys are struggling, or that we need to take real action to fix it. It’s even less socially acceptable to suggest that their decline might be, at least in part, our collective fault. But if we’re being honest, that’s a conversation we need to have, whether feminists like Jessica want to hear it or not.

Boys have experienced a significant academic decline over recent decades, falling far behind their female counterparts at every level of education.

After years of acknowledging the issues on social media and meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, I earned the nickname “the chick that stands up for boys,” and my dedication to advocating for the education and well-being of boys and young men remains my top priority. Many others who share this commitment have also persisted, recognizing the significance of addressing what may be one of the most critical issues for the future of our nation and the world, our “boy crisis.” Now, we’re witnessing a public awakening to the challenges facing boys and young men and are beginning to see a willingness to address these issues, yet many in the establishment media believe the crisis is overblown.

Leaders from both sides of the aisle are now committing to addressing the challenges confronting boys and men. Whether it's a response to the recent election results or an acknowledgment that the crisis can no longer be overlooked, these issues have emerged as a trendy political topic. These pledges represent a crucial step toward creating the societal change we urgently need—as long as responsible, informed, and impartial voices are included in the conversation moving forward. Now is the time to address education and how we are failing our boys, not for feminist writers to use their influence to gaslight the public into believing the crisis is imaginary.

The Gender Gap in Education

The boy crisis, a term introduced by Dr. Warren Farrell in his insightful book, The Boy Crisis, is a pressing reality that extends far beyond the classroom. However, reforming our education system is a critical first step toward tackling these challenges.

From elementary school to higher education, the gender gap is there. Boys dominate the lower end of the academic spectrum. Two thirds of high schoolers with the lowest grades are boys.

Currently, women make up nearly 60% of college students and dominate the majority of Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate degrees. Young men face higher dropout rates in college and are more prone to failure, suspension, and high school dropout.

In the past, when girls lagged behind boys in education, society recognized the problem and took meaningful steps to close the gap. We reformed systems, implemented support, and championed equal opportunity for girls to succeed.

But now that boys are the ones falling behind, the narrative has shifted. Instead of questioning the system, we point fingers at the boys themselves and expect them to adapt without help.

When girls were behind, we said, “There’s something wrong with the system.” Today, it’s, “There’s something wrong with boys.” That double standard isn’t just unfair, it’s unacceptable.

Young men face higher dropout rates in college and are more prone to failure, suspension, and high school dropout.

Gender gaps in education begin as early as kindergarten, with girls generally outperforming boys. Our education system values feminine traits, neglecting the unique learning styles of boys. The approach we’ve taken to address the challenges faced by boys in today's world seems to involve essentially shaming and blaming (and sometimes medicating) them in order to make them conform to the new preferred societal norms. The idea is that boys are simply broken girls, so if we take the boy out of boys, everything will improve. Now, obviously this is a terrible idea. Boys and girls are different. To adequately address the issue of boys falling behind, we must be emotionally mature and accept this biological fact.

Gender gaps in education are across racial groups as well, with the most pronounced disparity in GPA and on-time graduation observed among black students, while the smallest gap is found among Asian students. Only 36% of Bachelor's degrees awarded to black students go to black men. In order to uphold the principle that black lives do indeed matter, I believe it’s important that we recognize and address the educational challenges faced by boys and men and make their well-being a top priority.

Shouldn't we strive to adequately prepare all children for the future, regardless of gender? Instead of shaming and blaming the “boy” out of boys to force them into a system that favors feminine traits, we should focus on reshaping that system to better support how boys learn and thrive.

Just as our mental health system needs reform, so does our education system, so it becomes inclusive, supportive, and effective for everyone. Boys aren’t flawed girls. The real issue isn’t them, it’s the systems we’ve failed to adapt.

Most sex-specific scholarships are awarded to women—even though women already make up 60% of college students. One study found that a staggering 91.6% of sex-specific scholarships are reserved for women. That doesn’t exactly scream fairness or balance to me.

In a society that prides itself on striving for equality, shouldn’t we be promoting education equally across both genders, especially where participation is lagging? As boys continue to fall behind, the solution isn’t to ignore the problem or place blame on them. Instead, we should be actively supporting and encouraging their academic success. Doubling down on "girl power" messaging while dismissing boys' struggles, as Jessica does in her piece, not only misses the point, it frames the crisis as a zero-sum attack on women, when it’s really a call for balance.

In 1972, Title IX was introduced to address gender inequality on campus. At that time, men had a 12% higher chance of obtaining an undergraduate degree compared to women. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the situation has changed dramatically today. Women now have a 15% higher likelihood of earning a degree compared to men. For every 100 Bachelor's degrees awarded to women, only 74 are awarded to men. This gender gap is even wider than it was in 1972 when Title IX was passed, but in the opposite direction.

The implementation of laws aimed at supporting women and girls has resulted in a reversal of the gender gap. But, despite it being the other way around now, there is currently no national campaign to bring the balance back to center. 

Over the years, there has been an effort to encourage more young women to pursue careers in STEM. While we invest in programs to support young women breaking into male-dominated fields, it’s a must to also emphasize the equal importance of encouraging young men to enter what Richard Reeves from the Brookings Institution/American Institute for Boys and Men and author of his latest book “Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It” refers to as "HEAL” fields.

These growing fields include professions such as teaching and therapy, where we need more male representation. It’s puzzling why we don’t see a similar level of support and investment in promoting equal representation in these female dominated fields, where the presence of men is truly necessary to support and mentor other boys and men. It’s time to allocate equal resources and funding towards this idea.

There are real challenges associated with the underrepresentation of young men in higher education, resulting in a shortage of male professionals in other critical fields.

Clinical psychology doctoral programs have seen a significant increase in female representation, with women now comprising 79% of the student population. When the situation was reversed in medical and law schools, there was a big discussion about the systematic exclusion of women from those professions and the negative impact it had on clients and patients. Unsurprisingly, the current underrepresentation of men in clinical psychology programs hasn’t received the same level of attention. This is concerning, particularly because we need more male professionals in the mental health field to address the growing mental health crisis among boys and young men.

When I bring up the declining number of young men attending college, I often hear the response, "That's great! College is a pointless investment of time and money. Young men can earn more by pursuing other paths, like entrepreneurship!" While it would be fantastic if all young men were driven entrepreneurs, creating businesses and pioneering new ideas that will shape our future, the reality is quite different. Too many young men feel lost, a lack motivation, and are desperately in need of guidance and direction.

We need more male professionals in the mental health field to address the growing mental health crisis among boys and young men.

If you truly value representation, it’s important for both men and women to have equal opportunities to pursue higher education. Many careers today require higher education. Nearly 70% of jobs are expected to require a credential by 2040. By encouraging men to attend college and acquire the necessary credentials for many valuable careers, we can have a more balanced and diverse society. We should not be pushing men away from college, or the future will indeed be female.

Even at schools in Iceland, which is considered the most “gender equal country in the world” according to the World Economic Forum, 77% of undergraduates are women. When will we be equal? When 100% of undergraduates are women? This gender gap crisis in education is not confined to America; it’s a global issue.

In other parts of the world, gender inequality particularly affecting girls persists. During a humanitarian trip to Tanzania, I had the opportunity to witness this firsthand when I stayed at a secondary school that my brother helped build and run. My sister and I had organized fundraisers to support the girls in the village, where we stayed for several weeks. In Tanzania, some people continue to sell their daughters for a price equivalent to that of a goat. However, if your daughter is a student, it is much more difficult to sell her.

My experience in Tanzania opened my eyes to the cultural and gender disparities that exist. While I saw the obvious need to support girls, I also witnessed areas where boys required help. We must prioritize empowering all children and providing them with education, safety and opportunities in places like Tanzania, while still respecting their culture and way of life that may be different from ours.

The situation in America is not the same as Tanzania. Some people today may mistakenly draw a false equivalence by comparing the challenges faced by women in the West to those in more impoverished nations and argue that girls and women everywhere require the same attention and assistance. However, in America, as well as many other countries worldwide, it is our boys who face challenges and systemic sexism within the education system today.

Another effective solution I support and promote to address the education crisis among boys is to establish more vocational schools. I had the privilege of visiting a vocational school in New Jersey while working on a children’s book project, and I was impressed by the school's focus on providing tailored opportunities for boys.

Vocational schools could play a crucial role in the next era of education and development of boys and young men. These schools provide a specialized curriculum that focuses on practical skills and hands-on training, preparing students for specific careers and trades. 

Boys often have a natural inclination towards hands-on activities and problem-solving, so vocational education is a perfect fit for many of them. By engaging in things like carpentry, auto repair, and electrical work, boys can develop valuable technical skills that are in high demand in the job market and are less likely to be taken over by artificial intelligence.

Boys often have a natural inclination towards hands-on activities and problem-solving, so vocational education is a perfect fit for many of them.

By investing more in vocational education, I believe we can bridge the skills gap and ensure that boys are equipped with the knowledge and abilities required for the jobs of the future. Their education can be tailored to our rapidly evolving economy. 

Recognizing the challenges facing our boys, and taking meaningful action, is essential not just for their sake, but for the well-being of families, communities, and our society as a whole. When we fail our boys and men, we fail our girls and women too. We fail our communities. We fail our nation. If we want a truly inclusive future where everyone thrives, we can’t afford to ignore half the population.

As a society, we must wake up to the very real boy crisis unfolding around us and take proactive, thoughtful steps to address it. Reforming our education system and increasing the presence of male teachers are pivotal parts of that solution, no matter how loudly establishment media feminists try to downplay the problem. Because if we allow our boys to keep falling behind, it’s not just their future at stake, it’s all of ours.