Reclaiming Our Boys: Interrogating Masculinity

The society has heard the calls, ‘men must do better’ repeatedly. Unfortunately, there is no national consensus regarding education in general or boys’ education in particular hence our present dilemma. While the ever widening gender gap concerning post-secondary and higher education should be cause for national concern we should not be surprised that we have reached this juncture. Regrettably, we live in a society in which boys who display school smarts are often ridiculed as effeminate by peers and even adults in areas where academic excellence by males is typically devalued. At the recent graduation Professor Haldane Davies, president of the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean, (UCC), highlighted his concerns surrounding the disproportionate number of males to females at the institution with a focus on higher education. Of the 774 individuals who graduated from the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) 80 per cent were women, highlighting the continuing failure of male students to catch up in numbers to their female counterparts in tertiary institutions. Professor Davies added that in 2020, 22 per cent of the graduates from the UCC were men, there were 88 males and 308 females, while, in 2021, 20 per cent were men, there were 117 males and 470 females. However, the UCC is not unique in this respect as it relates to higher education. Of the almost 18,000 students enrolled at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, over two-thirds are women. A similar picture of male disproportionate enrolment occurs at the University of Technology (UTech), with its approximately 12,000 students. Apart from St. Joseph’s and Shortwood Teachers’ Colleges the same gender gap applies as well as other areas of tertiary education. Needless to say the problems of the ever increasing gender gap at the tertiary level has its genesis at the primary level where girls constantly outperform boys in the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examination. Prior to the introduction of the PEP; the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) also saw girls outperforming boys in the various subject areas. This under-performance of our boys continues at the secondary level and is evident in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination where girls dominate and where the dropout rate is higher for boys. Interestingly, even in co-education institutions more girls than boys graduate. It is at the tertiary level that the glaring gender gap in education is amplified and is on display for all to see. The issue at hand is rooted in our gendered approach to socialization. Our social and cultural factors have influenced the multiple ways in which masculinity is defined not only in the Jamaican society but societies all over. Masculinity and what it means to be a man does impact on the education of our boys. Many boys view the school experience as feminine. Our boys’ life choices are severely circumscribed by the dominant notions of masculinity competing with “multiple masculinities” in the society. The privileges afforded to the male gender have significantly contributed to what some may view as the unhealthy and undesirable state of masculinity in the Jamaican society. Interrogating Male Under-performance and Underachievement . Historically, there is the tendency for the society to narrowly define and interrogate gender solely as it relates to women's issues and this is problematic. Interestingly, those socially acceptable male behaviours that are often contrasting with academic achievement are also the traits that uphold male dominance in patriarchal societies. In fact, there is no need to shift the focus from girls’ education; however, we must be honest in acknowledging that boys’ underperformance and underachievement does not runs counter to the benefits of male privilege; that is, men continue to doing better than women in the labour market and leadership positions despite lower academic achievements. One troubling part of the equation is the fact that too many educators have come to expect far less from our boys regarding academic achievement; and this further compounds the problem. The truth is many boys are uninterested in what is being offered at school; hence they detach themselves from the educational journey. Unfortunately, this disconnect in boys’ educational journey oftentimes results in maladaptive behaviours. The classroom is not a homogenous setting and many teachers are just not equipped to manage this diverse set of personalities and behaviours. As a result many boys fall through the multiple cracks in the education system. Given the state of dysfunctional family life coupled with an ill-equipped and under-resourced education system many boys will slip through the self made cracks and are lost forever until the penal system catches up with them. There is also an urgent need for the society to interrogate the hegemonic strand of masculinity that run counter at times to academic excellence among males. Asynchronous versus Synchronous Learning. . Additionally, the classroom facilities a rigid type of experience that is not conducive to how boys learn in general. Synchronous learning refers to instructors and students gathering at the same time and (virtual or physical) place and interacting in “real-time”. Asynchronous learning refers to students accessing materials at their own pace and interacting with each other over longer periods. The gender gap regarding tertiary level studies has been widening over the decades. Men view higher education differently from women. One element of the discourse that must be included is the fact that boys learn differently. Boys are often tactile learners and unfortunately, the classroom experience and education journey is often toxic for our boys. The intense disciple and scarifies associated with education in general and tertiary level studies in particular are oftentimes far removed from our males due to how they have been socialized. Additionally, the society sends conflicting views along gendered lines regarding how success is defined. As a society steeped in materialism the message is clear especially to our boys and men that they must acquire all the trappings of success very early and by whatever means. We need to create safe spaces for boys at our schools and engage them in meaningful discussions about notions of masculinity and get from them ideas and suggestions which could be implemented to address their issues. The society also needs to revisit how we ascribe and contribute ‘successes to those endeavours which education is not necessarily a factor. The (undervalued) social currency which we now use to judge success needs to be revalued. We need to revisit the education system with a macho view and “de-feminize” the education system. We need to view the issue of male underperformance and underachievement with a sense of urgency and dispatch, if not; we are going to continue to witness the spread of a deviant strand of hyper masculinity sweeping across the education system. This reconstruction of masculinity is already manifesting itself in all our schools. As the society grapples with this socio-cultural issue regarding the widening gender gap at the tertiary level we must be mindful that the solutions must take on a multi-sectoral approach and must include a revisiting of the National Standards Curriculum and the education system in general. The problem of boys’ underachievement in academia is not unique to Jamaica; in fact all Caribbean islands are experiencing this socio-cultural issue. Just imagine the impact on Caribbean states if the Ministers of Education in Caricom would commit themselves to address this problem. What a grand anniversary gift to the future of Caricom this would be on this the 50th anniversary. As we approach another upcoming academic year we are required to reset the button concerning how our boys are socialized in order to close the gender gap in the education system. It is time for the society to act in order to reclaim our boys. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo ©