Gender Equity

Males vs. Females: The Eternal Debate

            The debate of gender bias has existed for a long time. If a person is a creationist, the argument could be that God created man first in his image and women from man to give man company. If a person is an evolutionist, the Darwinian theory of survival of the fittest could lead to the conclusion that men are stronger than women. This debate has even entered the educational system. Some educators believe that schools shortchange girls, that they are given the same opportunities. I believe that that the argument that girls are short change is exaggerated and has caused problems for both boys and girls.

            Klienfeld (1998) explains that the idea that girls are shortchanged by schools was created by women’s advocacy groups in order to portray women as victims, so they can receive special treatment and policy attention. The problem, she continues, is girls are not shortchanged. In fact, women get higher grades in school and receive higher class ranks and school honors. Women graduate from college more frequently than men and the number of professional and doctoral degrees received by women is increasing. This is proof that the issue has been overblown. In some areas boys do better like in science and math, but girls are at the top in reading and writing. This is probably due to interest. Girls are just not as interested in math and science as they are in reading and writing. Today, we have curriculum and lesson plans in math and science strictly for girls. While in some cases this might increase girls interest, in other cases it might create women professionals that are not as excited about their career and therefore slowing down progress. The biggest danger is that the focus on this issue is taking away the attention on those who de need special treatment and policy attention: special education students and minority students like Hispanics and African American boys and girls. This debate even extended to sports. Title IX makes schools and districts responsible for providing the same number of sports for both boys and girls. Yet, at the time it did solve a problem it created other problems. Now, girls can play football with boys. This can create problems both physical and emotional for both the boys and the girls. In some districts now there are more girls sports than boy sports, shortchanging boys.

            I believe that being shortchanged or not depends not on gender but more on individual characteristics. Some girls would rather be artists or mothers, and do want to be scientists or engineers. Yet, some girls grow up to become famous scientists like Marie Curie. Whether a boy or a girls a student’s interest, desires, family, and will help shape what they will become. Granted, educational experiences are determining factors, the other factors are just as important if not more. It is not fair to state that schools are to blame for the differences in career choices and accomplishments. The David School focuses on boys and girls, but it is obvious that most of the problem students are males and not females. In this example the problems were not created by gender bias, but from family issues and personal beliefs and attitudes of these boys.  Schools and districts need to approach this by making everything equal. They need to focus on boys as much as girls. They need to encourage every student to achieve to their highest potential. They need to believe that no barrier, gender or otherwise, can deter them from their ultimate goal.

            In the web page, Gender and Society, it is stated that most people in the United States believe that women have more difficult lives than men. If this is the case, then why are women accomplishing just as much if not more than men. If would definitely make the generalization that women are smarter than men and God has a way of balancing the situation, so women have it harder. Whatever the case may be, all boys and girls are given the same educational opportunities. All students must understand that racist and sexist will always exist, but that their will is stronger than their hate.