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The Forum > Article Comments > Boys in trouble > Comments

Boys in trouble : Comments

By Peter West, published 7/10/2010

There’s lots of evidence that young men are in trouble. Boys look for good role models but what do they see?

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One of my sons recently completed his Dip Ed as a mature age student. He was the only male in his year (he chose primary teaching), and all his lecturers were female.

To my horror, he was subjected to outrageous sexism by one of his lecturers. Things became so bad that he eventually lodged a formal complaint, supported by many of his female peers.

There were times when he came very close to throwing it all in. He persisted, with help and encouragement from his family and other students in his classes.

This young man had for the previous 2 years run a refuge for abused and disabled youth. Among other duties, he supervised meetings between the kids and their abusive parents. He'd also spent 12 months working for the UN in refugee camps in Tanzania, teaching kids to play sport. He's been around, he's seen, lived with and dealt with extreme circumstances. But the personal sexist attacks by his lecturer almost brought him undone.

He's now a much loved teacher, in a staff room that apart from him, is entirely female.

As a feminist mother, I was disgusted and outraged by the treatment he received at uni. I was also very saddened to discover that the equality we'd fought for in the eighties had become so distorted.

It was never our intention that things should become so skewed. Many of us had young sons - and we wanted only the best for them. Any "feminist" who gains satisfaction of any kind from seeing boys and men disadvantaged and/or badly treated is not, in my view, a true feminist.
Posted by briar rose, Sunday, 10 October 2010 10:44:55 AM
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Briar rose,

The treatment of your son is not uncommon. Similar treatment is carried out on boy students right down into primary school.

There was a federal inquiry undertaken into boy’s education in 2004. The inquiry was quite large and involved numerous studies. http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/edt/eofb/report.htm

I remember speaking to a number of teachers some years later, and found not one teacher was aware that the inqury had taken place, and not one teacher was aware of the recommendations of the inquiry.

However, all teachers wanted more pay of course, and all teachers wanted more “government spending” (or taxpayer funding).

In reality they had minimal interest in education or in Australia, and were simply using the taxpayer for money.
Posted by vanna, Sunday, 10 October 2010 4:21:19 PM
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briar rose, "It was never our intention that things should become so skewed."

Amen to that. It is common though.

Not so long ago while I was on the school council of a state primary school, a young male teacher arrived (shock!). He, his attractive wife and baby were instant hits with all of the students. In a year, this teacher performed a miracle, he managed to form and coach a cricket team where there had not been one for years, few of the boys had ever held a bat and parents had donated the gear. The team went on to win the zone and district competitions, an incredible feat. The educational spin-off from the growing successes of this team during the year was amazing as even boys who were not directly involved were keen to go to school and study.

Sadly, this young male teacher and his family were soon gone. He was frozen out and his ideas were blocked by the all-female administration. The shabby treatment meted out to the cricket team was an example, his idea of a cricket ball signed by the team for display among the trophies of years ago was refused. There was to be no mention of the team at the end of year 'speech night' and no printed plastic covered certificate as a memento for the players (his skilled wife was to make them herself). The only grudging acknowledgement of the team's success was that they were permitted to stand briefly as part of a morning parade while he mentioned their success from the back of the room. On the same parade it was overshadowed by the complete fuss made by the principal about a girl who had been nominated to sing at some minor event locally.

There is a reason why some State schools lose boys (and some girls) to private schools at year 5, or as early as the private schools will take them. There needs to be a changing of the guard.
Posted by Cornflower, Sunday, 10 October 2010 6:28:55 PM
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Boys ARE different to girls.

Discipline has gone out the window.

Respect for others appears to have, disappeared.

Some of my work colleagues (women) think it is fun and great to get "plastered" on the weekend - and on weeknights. What hope do these children have when their greatest role models (parents) behave like this.

When my son was in grade 6, a male teacher pointed out 3 boys(one being my son) who he "thought" would be the ones to "drop out of school". All because these boys were "active boys with enquiring minds.

All three have great jobs - one is an optomitrist.

My son now has a son. They discipline him when necessary, but above all they praise him when he learns something new. He is beginning life with great role models - his parents. I am so proud of my son and daughter-in-law.
Posted by searching, Sunday, 10 October 2010 8:22:00 PM
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Ahhh...we are unique...behind every man is the GREAT woman!

Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Mao?
Posted by hm2, Friday, 15 October 2010 9:49:26 AM
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