SEXISM IN SCHOOLS ???
     A nationally-syndicated editorial (7/28) of Steve Chapman
points out the following facts:
     1) Any anti-girl sexism is being committed by _teachers_,
          and 75% of public school teachers are themselves women.
     2) Boys get worse grades on average, even though
          girls do worse on math and science tests.
               (Does this mean that female teachers are sexists
                who discriminate against boys in grading?)
     3) Among whites and Hispanics, the dropout rate is higher
          among boys.
               (Does this mean that female teachers are sexists
                who discourage boys from succeeding?)
     4) Success in higher education is disproportionately female,
          with 53% of both bachelor's and master's degrees being
          awarded to women.
     In view of the above facts, it's hard to argue that "sexist"
public school systems are victimizing _girls_.  If a mere
disproportionality of enrollment in math and science classes proves
that the public schools mainly-female teachers discourage girls
from taking such courses, mere disproportionality also proves that
schools fail to motivate boys to stay in school and graduate.
     Isn't it time for feminists to quit trying to claim victimhood
on this one, and face the fact that course choice mainly reflects
self-selection in the same way choice of college major does?
Nobody's claiming that the disproportionate dropout rate among boys
is anything but self-selection.  Nobody's claiming that the fact
that far more boys than girls get paddled in school is the result
of anything but a self-selection to misbehave.
--- Simplex BBS (v1.07.00Beta [DOS])
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