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The Truth About Boys and Girls

There has been a lot of buzz about a new report "The Truth About Boys and Girls" from the non partisan group "Education Sector" . The report concludes that while sex differences in academic areas are quite small, racial/ethnic differences in achievement are quite large. Academically middle class boys (and girls), especially those who are white and Asian American are doing quite well. The "boy crises" is about African American and Hispanic boys and boys in poverty. And guess what, African American and Hispanic girls and girls in poverty aren't doing that well either.

It makes us, at FairerScience, wonder why this is posed as a boy problem instead of a problem related to poverty and racism. Seven years ago Susan Bailey and I wrote "Pitting boys against girls in competition for a good education is out of place in today's world. It shortchanges both sexes. The education gender wars must cease." Guess we need to say it again.