A not insignificant part of the population thinks in terms of absolutes. Such people, although not necessarily having low intelligence, see the world in terms of black and white. There is no 50 shades of grey to them at all. They tend to be drawn towards ideologies which preach absolutes and they tend to become the leaders of such social, political, and religious movements.

Among right wing groups there may be such people who believe that females have strict roles in society and they should stay entirely in their place. One of the reasons why Hitler lost the war is because he felt that way about German women and he would not let them become a part of the war effort. This contradicted the western and Soviet systems where women were encouraged to work in war factories and shipyards (Rosie the riveter), and where female emancipation and equality was given a real boost.

Among leftist egalitarian absolutist thinkers they obsess that within all societies, class does not exist. That within every society, everybody is equal (unless they are favoured minorities, who are more equal). With lefties, races are all equal too. Every race is equally intelligent, with equal physical abilities, personalities, and beauty. Beauty is a sore point with socialist absolutists, as it infers that one person can be more attractive than another. That is why they deride beauty contests as "cattle shows."

Now these same leftist absolute thinkers have focussed upon gender. To them, men and women must be equal in every way. Unless there are equal numbers of engineers, infantrymen, fighter pilots, top scientists, and politicians, then something must be wrong with society.

Whereas most people (who do not think in absolutes) would grant that there are special men and women who may be drawn towards occupations normally the preserve of the opposite sex, they simply reject the idea that males and females are identical in every way except for a couple of biological differences. Which the absolutists would deny if they could get away with it.

It's ridiculous that we should have to talk about differences that have been known and accepted for millennia.

I think I agree with most of this, but particularly with the onset of puberty. Albeit, sex ed ought to be exclusively gender-based so as to allow women o say no, or choose who, when and where. and for young men to learn about informed enthusiastic consent, plus respect!

I think boys need exclusively normal heterosexual male teachers teaching them how to be the sort of boys that grow up into responsible, respectful men.

I am saying, there's no place in education for hedonistic gays, transgenders and lesbians. Not in any classroom. Or as role models for anyone! Sorry, no offence intended!

Our male teachers need to be the role models for the sort of men we want our male graduates to be. Yet, still be sensitive enough to realize, that some of the more effeminate in their charge may need special professional, non-religious counselling and 'Father Ostrich Style" protection from the less intelligent students and or their parents!

Boys seem to be falling further and further behind as the pendulum has swung too far one way with more females graduating from uni, than young men?

Something has changed for the worse and needs to be unchanged! The return of corporal punishment for repeat disruptive offenders perhaps? As opposed to those same students being given virtual carte blanche to assault teachers!

Ok, so Poverty breeds these elements! But that's never ever going to be addressed by the same old, same old, trickle-down economic paradigms of the antichrists in government!
Alan B.

Men and women are different, as are their younger selves, boys and girls. Be careful with treating them too differently though. There's been a lot of social change just so that there is less favoritism between men and women.

Best case senerio teaching boys and girls differently will accomplish it's intended goals and let both be more successful in their studies. But two other likely outcomes are
1) a change in teaching styles means to favor one or the other. Boys or girls. As the pendulum swings from favoring one over the other and back.
Or
2) that the different teaching paths will lead to men being directed down some studies and careers, while women be directed to different fields of study. The fight for equal pay and equal employment options will have been for nothing.

What it comes down to is the details. What would be done differently for male students, without showing favoritism.

well biology and design speaks for itself.

If we need to teach boys and girls differently because they are different, then surely we need to teach individuals differently for the same reason?

How do we do that?