Why American boys are failing at school—and men are losing in life
In New York, boys are now lagging behind girls in math and a full grade level behind in English. Similar patterns can be seen across the nation. Boys graduate high school at about the same rate as poor students, while girls account for two out of three high schoolers in the top 10% ranked by GPA. One in four black boys repeat a grade, and 60% of students on college campuses are now women.
When almost one in four boys (23%) are categorized as having a “developmental disability,” it is fair to wonder if it is the boys — or the system — that is not functioning properly.
As many boys struggle through school, many men are also having a hard time in the labor market. The jobs men used to get without much formal education are disappearing: Fewer than one in ten jobs now require what the Bureau of Labor Statistics describes as “heavy work,” requiring “occasionally lifting or carrying 51-100 pounds or frequently lifting or carrying 26-50 pounds.”
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