Why are colleges now graduating more girls than boys?

This is a concern for all of us in this country. Now more girls are graduating from colleges and pursuing higher degrees.

We certainly want girls to get a college education. In the 1950s at the University of Missouri-Columbia, there were five boys to every girl on campus. One reason for this change is that women now are pursuing all professions and careers. They see a need to have a college degree.

Some of our boys in this country are not thriving in school. They are often failing and are not rescued from that failure.

We must see that boys succeed in early elementary school. When they are not successful, they often give up.

In schools, we sometimes fail to interest them in reading. Teachers and parents must work to find books that interest them. They are not going to read books that make no sense to them.

Girls will often read a book they are not interested in just because the teacher tells them to read the book. Boys are often not as eager to please the teacher as girls, so they might not read the book or do the written assignment about the book.

Boys need to learn that math is fun. As parents and teachers, we need to show them that math can be interesting. If they fall behind in math, we must quickly help them to get back on track.

Parents can increase interest in math by pointing out how they use math in their work and in everyday life. High school students in the United States are now scoring lower on math tests than their contemporaries in Asia and Europe. That might be because our students do not usually take higher levels of math in high school. Math is work and often requires homework. Boys are opting to do less homework and spend their time on video games and the computer.

With all the pressure to do well on No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements, teachers are not using inquiry learning. This is causing children to miss out on a learning technique that helps make them curious, interested learners.

For several years, many teachers have felt forced to teach a set of skills that will help students do well on tests used to measure NCLB progress. So school has become less challenging and exciting for many students.

School experiences for boys are not as fascinating as they could be, so too many boys are deciding that high school is enough. They will not proceed to college. Boys must be rescued from this lack of success early in their school careers. High school must be challenging for all students.

High school students should be involved in reading, writing, discussing and debating. They must be challenged to the maximum of their abilities.

Students should be encouraged to take advanced placement courses to get a head start on college. No students should leave high school early because they have enough credits to graduate. High school should be exciting and challenging enough to keep them in school.

Boys must be encouraged to go to college. Parents must see that their sons do their best in school so they will have the necessary learning to seek a college degree.

Schools cannot shoulder the entire burden for students’ learning. Parents must remember that they are their children’s first and best teacher. Parents must keep involved in their children’s learning throughout their school experience. Parenting is not easy or finished quickly.