MALE STUDENTS NEED THE ATTENTION TOO

MALE STUDENTS NEED THE ATTENTION TOO

by Domenick J. Maglio PhD., Traditional Realist

There was a time in the United States when females were not getting a fair shake. Certainly this was the case prior to WWII where the vast majority were home bound unable to further their education even when they were superior students.  During WWII there was a greater need for females in manufacturing, service industry and some career positions.

The quantum leap for females in college happened during the late 1960’s counter culture revolution/sexual revolution. Females were encouraged and recruited to enter college. Programs were established in public schools to increase awareness of college career opportunities specifically for females and in university women’s programs. These programs popped up throughout academia to be a catalyst to develop independent, not interdependent females.

Higher education for females became a major component of the diversity movement. These government social change efforts bore more fruit than anticipated. Presently approximately 60% of college students are female which leaves only 40% males.  It has been overkill skewing the composition of college campuses in favor of females.

Chelsea Clinton is promoting more female students going into the STEM programs (Science, technology, engineering and math fields). She never mentions the plight of males in our higher education system as she vigorously argues for more females to graduate in these fields. There is little discussion in the media of males being trained or retained in these traditionally male areas although men’s representation in these fields is decreasing.

In today's preschools and elementary grades boys are diagnosed with mental disorders at a rate ranging from 4-1 to 11-1 boys over girls. The high school drop out rate for boys is significantly higher. They are more likely to be suspended or expelled, commit suicide and be incarcerated. Male students are not doing as well as females in our educational system. Our schools should address the difficulties boys have to confront daily in school.

In most other countries of the world females are educationally deprived although in the United States the opposite is true. Females have successfully overcome any past barriers in higher education. Presently female’s grades in college are higher while they earn 75% of all honor degrees. Females are the majority in graduate and professional schools.  Females are usually the go-getters while the males are generally the less interested in school.

Our over social engineering correction to attract more females to higher education may at the same time be repelling males away from higher education degrees.  It is hard to deny there is a problem with recruiting and graduating male students in higher education.  Most American males no longer view college as a necessary stepping stone to their future. Others just find the process of obtaining a degree degrading, making it too high a price to pay.

In many schools of higher education even the traditional scientific curriculums have become centers of indoctrination.  Often these colleges require courses in social change that have nothing to do with essential professional knowledge needed in their field of study.  This introduction of political propaganda into higher education is more frustrating to the typical male who just wants to meet the n requirements. They are usually more objective and less sympathetic to the plight of others than their female counterparts.

It is time we turn our attention to the potentially disastrous effects of not having professionally trained males in our economy. This would adversely affect the functioning level of our families when men are unemployed or do not having the ability to make adequate salaries to support their families. Men who have menial jobs or are unemployed suffer a greater incidence of depression, suicide and cancer. These displaced males have a difficult time playing the leadership role as a fully functioning husband and father increasing the rate of divorce in these families.

The women in America are thriving in academia while men are floundering and withdrawing. Women are the recipients of government interventions including Title IX, which limits opportunities for males in sports that had been a major incentive for them to enter college. Males have even lost the benefit of the doubt in allegations of sexual charges with the changes in campus regulations and laws.

Young men deserve a level playing field in higher education. Obviously the special women’s programs for recruiting and retaining college females have more than accomplished their objectives. The United States has to reverse this trend of graduating 25% fewer males from college than women or suffer long-term economic and social consequences impacting our nation.

Discrimination against males is just as offensive and counter productive as it would be to any other group including females. The time has arrived in our society to examine and rectify the reasons why males are losing interest in attending and completing higher education.

Dr. Maglio is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.