[Pressrelations, 21.01.2008]
Chancen durch Bildung - Perspektiven statt Ausgrenzung
Die aktuelle Debatte um Jugendgewalt zeigt einmal mehr, wie wichtig es ist, früh zu handeln, um gewalttätiges Verhalten zu verhindern. Da soziale Schwierigkeiten und Perspektivlosigkeit die Hauptgründe für Jugendgewalt sind, muss hier angesetzt werden. Gewaltprävention heißt also insbesondere, jungen Menschen früh eine Chance zu geben - eine Chance auf Bildung und Teilhabe.
In Deutschland hängt Bildung immer noch viel zu stark von der sozialen und ethnischen Herkunft ab. Diesen Zusammenhang müssen wir aufbrechen. Die Zahl der Bücher im Regal der Eltern darf nicht länger den Bildungserfolg bestimmen. Unter Bildung verstehen Bündnis 90/Die Grünen mehr als reine Wissensvermittlung und gute PISA-Ergebnisse. Vielmehr hat Bildung vor allem mit sozialem Lernen und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung zu tun. Bildung ist für uns GRÜNE unauflöslich mit der Anstrengung, der Kreativität und der Neugierde des Individuums verbunden, sich in die Welt hineinzufinden, ihre Traditionen zu ergründen und die eigenen Potenziale zu entwickeln. Bildung ist ein Prozess, in dem die Welt aktiv und verantwortungsvoll mitgestaltet wird.
Jungen Menschen durch Bildung eine Perspektive geben, heißt für Bündnis 90/Die Grünen:
Früher anfangen
Kinder müssen früh gefördert werden. Nicht jedem Kind wird zu Hause vorgelesen, nicht jedes wird in seiner Entwicklung optimal gefördert. Daher ist es neben dem Ausbau der Kinderbetreuungsplätze von größter Bedeutung, die Qualität der frühkindlichen Förderung zu steigern. Bündnis 90/Die Grünen stehen für einen Rechtsanspruch auf frühkindliche Bildung und Betreuung ab dem 1. Lebensjahr.Wir Grüne fordern Exzellenz auch in der Kita. Das bedeutet, Erzieherinnen und Erzieher noch besser auszubilden, damit sie Kinder individuell nach ihren Potenzialen und Fähigkeiten fördern können. Dazu gehört auch, die Erzieherausbildung mittelfristig auf Hochschulniveau anzuheben. Die Sprache ist der Schlüssel, um die Welt zu verstehen, deshalb brauchen Kinder mit Sprachproblemen frühzeitige Unterstützung. Außerdem fordern wir, Kitas zu Familienzentren auszubauen, in denen Eltern Beratung und Unterstützung erhalten können - am besten schon während der Schwangerschaft.
Kein Kind zurücklassen
Jedes Kind muss mitgenommen, individuell gefördert und zu einem Abschluss geführt werden. Ein Schulsystem, das Kinder mit zehn Jahren auf „niedrige“ und „höhere“ Schulformen aufteilt und etwa 10 Prozent der Jugendlichen ohne Abschluss entlässt, fördert Minderwertigkeitsgefühle, Frust und somit letztlich auch Gewalt. Wir wollen die Beschämung durch Auslese und das frühe Verteilen von Lebenschancen nicht mehr hinnehmen. Kinder sollen länger gemeinsam und voneinander lernen. Eine neue Lernkultur, die auf jedes Kind besonders eingeht, stärkt sowohl die Leistungsstarken als auch die Schwächsten. Das Sitzenbleiben wollen wir abschaffen.. Dazu gehört auch, Kinder mit Handicaps nicht länger auf Förderschulen abzuschieben.
Eltern ins Boot holen
Eltern, ErzieherInnen und LehrerInnen teilen Verantwortung für die Entwicklung der Kinder und müssen eng und vertrauensvoll zusammenarbeiten. In Bildungsdebatten werden die Eltern allerdings als wichtigste Erziehungspersonen mitunter vergessen. Dabei ist es zentral für den Bildungserfolg von Kindern, deren Eltern mit einzubeziehen. Zur Stärkung der Elternarbeit gehören Erziehungsvereinbarungen, Information und Aufklärung über Bildungsgänge und -angebote, aber auch Weiterbildung für Eltern wie Sprachkurse oder Beratung in Erziehungsfragen. Der Kontakt zu Eltern mit Migrationshintergrund muss verbessert werden - aus kulturellen und sprachlichen Gründen bleiben sie in der Beziehung Eltern-Schule allzu häufig außen vor. Die Migrantenverbände und -organisationen sind ebenfalls aufgefordert, Aufklärungsarbeit zu leisten und zwischen Schule und Familien zu vermitteln. Letztlich ist es Aufgabe aller Eltern, ihre Kinder in die Schule zu schicken. Häufiges Schuleschwänzen ist ein Alarmsignal. Den Ursachen muss auf den Grund gegangen und pädagogisch begegnet werden. Notfalls muss die Schulpflicht mit Nachdruck durchgesetzt werden.
Gemeinsam mit der Türkischen Gemeinde in Deutschland starten wir eine Kampagne für eine gewaltfreie Erziehung, die in türkischer und deutscher Sprache für eine Umsetzung des Gewaltschutzgesetzes werben wird.
Die Mischung macht’s
Warum sollten an Schulen eigentlich nur Lehrerinnen und Lehrer mit Kindern arbeiten? Und warum kann die Schule nicht selbst entscheiden, ob sie eine Psychologin, einen Tischlermeister, einen Sozialpädagogen oder eine Theaterregisseurin braucht? Wir fordern, dass Schulen ein eigenes Budget bekommen und selbst entscheiden dürfen, wen sie einstellen. Denn auf steigende gesellschaftliche Anforderungen in punkto Bildung, Erziehung und Gewaltprävention können Schulen am besten mit einem auf sie zugeschnittenen Personalmix reagieren. Darüber hinaus muss auch die Lehrerausbildung dringend reformiert werden, damit individuelle Förderung und interkulturelle Kompetenz keine leeren Floskeln bleiben. Außerdem fordern wir mehr Personal mit Migrationshintergrund in Bildungseinrichtungen.
Ganztagsschulen bieten Zeit für mehr - Angebote von früh bis spät
Gute Bildungsangebote sinnvoll über den Tag verteilt können Bildungsdefizite abbauen und den starken Zusammenhang von sozialer Herkunft und Schulerfolg durchbrechen. Insbesondere Kinder mit Migrationshintergrund, leistungsschwächere Schülerinnen und Schüler, aber auch besonders Begabte profitieren davon. Wir fordern daher, den begonnenen Ausbau der Ganztagsschulen mit Schwung fortzusetzen. 2009 läuft das von rot-grün begonnene Ganztagschulprogramm aus. Wir fordern die Länder auf diese Programm fortzusetzen. Ganztagsschule heißt dabei nicht, den Unterricht einfach in den Nachmittag zu verlängern, sondern der Schule einen neuen Rhythmus zu geben. Der 45-Minuten-Takt wird abgeschafft, die pädagogischen Fachkräfte sind den ganzen Tag anwesend und arbeiten im Team zusammen. Es gibt Hausaufgabenbetreuung, Förderangebote und fächerübergreifendes Lernen. Außerdem können Schülerinnen und Schüler unabhängig von ihrer sozialen Herkunft an Projekten aus Musik, Sport, Handwerk, Kunst usw. teilnehmen.
Vernetzt betreuen
Schwächen im Bildungssystem werden häufig sichtbar, wenn es um die Kooperation verschiedener Akteure geht. Mangelnde Zusammenarbeit kann Chancen vereiteln oder dazu führen, dass Probleme nicht früh genug erkannt werden. In dreifacher Hinsicht muss daher die Kooperation gestärkt werden: Erstens müssen Bildungseinrichtungen untereinander besser zusammenarbeiten, insbesondere beim Übergang von der Kita in die Grundschule oder bei Schulwechseln. Zweitens sind enge Netzwerke von Schule, Jugendamt, Sozialbehörden, Polizei und Justiz nötig, um bei Problemfällen adäquat und zeitnah handeln zu können. Verschiebebahnhöfe darf es hier nicht geben. Drittens sind Kitas und Schulen aufgerufen, sich in ihren Stadtteil hinein zu öffnen und Jugendarbeit, Vereine, Musik- und Kunstschulen, weitere Bildungsträger, Senioren, Handwerk usw. einzubeziehen. Beide Seiten müssen hier aufeinander zugehen und die Ganztagsschule als Chance für ein engeres Zusammenwirken zum Wohle der Kinder und Jugendlichen begreifen.
Mehr Männer in Kitas und Grundschulen
Besonderes Augenmerk muss auf männliche Bildungsverlierer gerichtet werden. Jugendgewalt ist überwiegend männlich - sowohl was die Täter als auch was die Opfer angeht. Viele Jungen erleben zuerst in ihrer Familie Gewalt, positive männliche Vorbilder fehlen. In Kita und Grundschule treffen sie fast ausschließlich auf weibliche Pädagogen und können auch hier nicht von positiven männlichen Identifikationsfiguren lernen. Wir brauchen deshalb mehr Männer in Kitas und Grundschulen und eine stärkere Rollenreflektion aller Erziehungskräfte in den Einrichtungen.
PRESSEDIENST BUENDNIS 90/DIE GRUENEN Bundesvorstand Sigrid Wolff, Pressesprecherin Platz vor dem Neuen Tor 1 * 10115 BerlinEmail: mailto:presse@gruene.deTel: 030 - 28442 131 * Fax: 030 - 28442 234
Randgruppe Jungs: Wenn Väter als männliche Vorbilder fehlen
[DK-Online, 22. Januar 2008]
Vortrag „Wie werden Jungen so wie sie sind?“ in der Grundschule Heide
Der Oldenburger Sozialwissenschaftler Jens Brodauf empfiehlt Vätern, sich mehr um ihre Söhne zu kümmern und ihnen so das tatsächliche Männerbild zu vermitteln.
Von Christian HupkaHeide. „Immer häufiger gelten Jungen als die Verlierer der heutigen Gesellschaft und hinken im Vergleich zu gleichaltrigen Mädchen in ihrer schulischen Entwicklung hinterher.“ Der Oldenburger Sozialwissenschaftler Jens Brodauf, der gestern im Rahmen der Elternschule in der Grundschule Heide zu Gast war, appellierte, den Jungen ihre Entwicklungsschwierigkeiten und häufig ungestüme Art nachzusehen.„Spätestens im Job können sie viel Defizite aufholen und überholen sogar oftmals die weibliche Konkurrenz.“
Dennoch stellte er fest, dass Jungen es gerade in jungen Jahren häufig schwerer als Mädchen hätten und führte dies auf fehlende männliche Vorbilder in ihrem Alltagsleben zurück: „Häufig kommen Jungen zu wenig mit ihren Vätern und anderen Männern in Berührung und erleben stattdessen zu viel Mutter und Frau.“ Sie könnten sich zu wenig von den Männern ein tatsächliches Männerbild abgucken, bekämen aber von den Medien stattdessen ein starkes, mutiges und in vielen Fällen emotionsfreies Männerbild vermittelt. Dies führe oft dazu, dass Jungen dann häufig genau das Gegenteil von ihren Müttern täten und dann beispielsweise nicht mehr die Klobürste benützten oder keinerlei Gefühle mehr zuließen.Um dem entgegenzuwirken empfahl der Experte den Vätern, sich mehr um den männlichen Nachwuchs zu kümmern, mit ihm mehr zu spielen, ihm Geschichten vorzulesen oder ihn auch mal in den Kindergarten oder die Schule zu bringen. Gleichzeitig riet er den Müttern, sich parallel dazu ein wenig zurückzunehmen.
Männer an die Schulen
[Welt, 22. Januar 2008]
Von Hildegard Stausberg
Meine Woche
Warum Jungen in der Schule Autoritäten brauchen - und Kopfnoten umstritten sind
Eine Anweisung der Schulministerin Barbara Sommer (CDU) erregt in Nordrhein-Westfalen die Gemüter: Seit über 30 Jahren sollen auf Zwischenzeugnissen - ab der dritten Klasse in der Grundschule - zum ersten Mal wieder "Kopfnoten" vergeben werden. In ihnen sollen beurteilt werden: Leistungsbereitschaft, Zuverlässigkeit, Selbstständigkeit, Verantwortungsbereitschaft, Konfliktverhalten und Kooperationsfähigkeit. Früher hieß das etwas einfacher: Betragen, Häuslicher Fleiß, Ordnung und - man glaubt es fast nicht mehr - Schönschrift.
Als ich 1967 Abitur machte, wurden über zwei Drittel meiner 24 Mitschülerinnen Lehrer, damals ein Traumberuf für junge Frauen. Und so brauche ich weder Zeitung, Deutschlandfunk noch Fernsehen, um jetzt ein breites Meinungsspektrum zu bekommen: Ich rufe sie einfach an: Die meisten sind Ende 50 und noch alle im Geschirr. Eindeutige Meinungen zu den Kopfnoten finde ich allerdings nicht, sondern viel differenzierte Aussagen und mehr als eine nachdenklich machende Erfahrung. Für meine Freundin Elisabeth U., seit 1971 Grundschullehrerin, ist die Initiative "ein begrüßenswerter Anfang". Sie glaubt, dass man Kinder - und Eltern - zurückführen muss zu Benotungen des Verhaltens, "so schmerzlich das auch sein mag". Sie unterrichtet allerdings an einer katholischen Grundschule und gibt unumwunden zu, dass sie es deshalb "etwas leichter hat", so etwas einzufordern.
Annette B., sie kam mit elf Geschwistern aus der kinderreichsten Familie meiner Klasse, ist Direktorin einer Gesamtschule im Kölner Norden. Für sie ist die Initiative von Frau Sommer "ein Schnellschuss, ziemlich weit weg von der Praxis". Sie hätte sich gewünscht, dass man das erst einmal in Pilotprojekten ausprobiert hätte. Allerdings ist für sie die größte Herausforderung unserer Gesellschaft nicht die seit Langem fehlende Benotung des Schülerverhaltens, sondern die "absolute Erziehungsunfähigkeit" junger Eltern: "Die bekommen Kinder und wissen gar nicht, wie sie diese erziehen sollen." Sie glaubt auch, dass es mehr männliche Lehrer geben müsse: "Die Jungen brauchen in der Pubertät Lehrer als Autoritätsvorbilder, wir Lehrerinnen schaffen das einfach nicht." Für sie steht außerdem längst fest, dass die Privatschulen der Gewinner der aktuellen Debatte sind: "Und die haben übrigens Kopfnoten."
Die Autorin ist Diplomatische Korrespondentin der WELT
Von Hildegard Stausberg
Meine Woche
Warum Jungen in der Schule Autoritäten brauchen - und Kopfnoten umstritten sind
Eine Anweisung der Schulministerin Barbara Sommer (CDU) erregt in Nordrhein-Westfalen die Gemüter: Seit über 30 Jahren sollen auf Zwischenzeugnissen - ab der dritten Klasse in der Grundschule - zum ersten Mal wieder "Kopfnoten" vergeben werden. In ihnen sollen beurteilt werden: Leistungsbereitschaft, Zuverlässigkeit, Selbstständigkeit, Verantwortungsbereitschaft, Konfliktverhalten und Kooperationsfähigkeit. Früher hieß das etwas einfacher: Betragen, Häuslicher Fleiß, Ordnung und - man glaubt es fast nicht mehr - Schönschrift.
Als ich 1967 Abitur machte, wurden über zwei Drittel meiner 24 Mitschülerinnen Lehrer, damals ein Traumberuf für junge Frauen. Und so brauche ich weder Zeitung, Deutschlandfunk noch Fernsehen, um jetzt ein breites Meinungsspektrum zu bekommen: Ich rufe sie einfach an: Die meisten sind Ende 50 und noch alle im Geschirr. Eindeutige Meinungen zu den Kopfnoten finde ich allerdings nicht, sondern viel differenzierte Aussagen und mehr als eine nachdenklich machende Erfahrung. Für meine Freundin Elisabeth U., seit 1971 Grundschullehrerin, ist die Initiative "ein begrüßenswerter Anfang". Sie glaubt, dass man Kinder - und Eltern - zurückführen muss zu Benotungen des Verhaltens, "so schmerzlich das auch sein mag". Sie unterrichtet allerdings an einer katholischen Grundschule und gibt unumwunden zu, dass sie es deshalb "etwas leichter hat", so etwas einzufordern.
Annette B., sie kam mit elf Geschwistern aus der kinderreichsten Familie meiner Klasse, ist Direktorin einer Gesamtschule im Kölner Norden. Für sie ist die Initiative von Frau Sommer "ein Schnellschuss, ziemlich weit weg von der Praxis". Sie hätte sich gewünscht, dass man das erst einmal in Pilotprojekten ausprobiert hätte. Allerdings ist für sie die größte Herausforderung unserer Gesellschaft nicht die seit Langem fehlende Benotung des Schülerverhaltens, sondern die "absolute Erziehungsunfähigkeit" junger Eltern: "Die bekommen Kinder und wissen gar nicht, wie sie diese erziehen sollen." Sie glaubt auch, dass es mehr männliche Lehrer geben müsse: "Die Jungen brauchen in der Pubertät Lehrer als Autoritätsvorbilder, wir Lehrerinnen schaffen das einfach nicht." Für sie steht außerdem längst fest, dass die Privatschulen der Gewinner der aktuellen Debatte sind: "Und die haben übrigens Kopfnoten."
Die Autorin ist Diplomatische Korrespondentin der WELT
Boys at school: Long climb back to the top
[The Independent, 27 July 2006]
Experts have been wringing their hands at the underachievement of boys. But now a group of schools in Yorkshire is showing the world how to kick-start their enthusiasm for learning.
Hilary Wilce reports
Boys don't do well in school. They work less hard than girls, act up in class, and fall down in exams. Their underperformance hampers their life chances and blights society - disaffected youths are the main perpetrators of violence and anti-social behaviour. Yet to many teachers and parents their failure is an enigma. What can you do, they shrug. They're boys.
The answer is: a lot. And fast. In fact, a city-wide project is proving that we already know exactly what to do to get boys going. And when it is done, results show up almost immediately.
Eighteen months ago a group of Bradford schools set out to raise boys' school marks, behaviour and aspirations. A pilot group of 22 primary schools began the work, and 18 of them improved boys' attainments within the year, with 13 seeing an average increase of 5 per cent in literacy and 10 per cent in numeracy in national test scores.
Teachers are also seeing a real turnaround in boys' attitudes, and boys are reporting changes. "I feel a lot better about everything," says Grant Steel, 14, whose secondary school is one of the nearly half of all Bradford schools now involved in the project. "I'm much more positive about what I can do now."
A number of separate actions are fuelling the change, but behind them all is the realisation that many of the things that motivate boys have been stripped out of schools with recent reforms. Girls have stoically adapted to the changes, but boys have often lost the plot.
"Over the past 15 years school has become a more narrow and drier kind of affair for some pupils," says Chris Ford, director of the city's Excellence in Cities Action Zone, which is running the project. "The pressure is all on literacy and numeracy. There is less time for a broader curriculum. But if you have a rich curriculum, hands-on learning, a rich life beyond class, and behaviour policies that are firm and plain, then boys and girls achieve equally."
There are, he says, about a dozen small things schools can do, "but when you have got them all going on, the overall culture of the schools shifts and you see reactions very, very quickly, usually within a couple of terms."
Boys tend to have high energy levels and need active lessons and lively sports programmes. They like to be given good reasons for doing things, enjoy practical tasks and often prefer non-fiction reading. They are uncomfortable with feelings, can find it hard to express themselves, and need people to understand that underneath their rowdy behaviour can lurk very low self-confidence.
However, give them firm behaviour boundaries, clearly structured work, and a sense of respect and attention, and they not only flourish, but relish the feeling of belonging to an institution they are proud of. "Once a school gets boys on board, they become really strong ambassadors," says Chris Ford. "They are proud to wear the shirt."
The project is training teachers to be more aware of these needs and encouraging schools to draw up action plans. But there is no magic template. What schools do varies according to their circumstances.
The project has brought in expert tutors, such as Gary Wilson, an education consultant who has spent years supporting boys' achievement as an adviser in Kirklees, and has encouraged teachers to think about how to develop boys' reading, writing, and emotional literacy.
However, Ford stresses that boys are not "a problem", nor do they all fit the stereotype. The Bradford work addresses broad tendencies, and the things it advocates are good for girls, too. "What this is all about is offering differentiated provision according to the learning needs of pupils. I would like to see it as a normal part of any school's development plan."
At Shirley Manor Primary School, learning is visibly lively and active. Nursery children - girls as well as boys - climb trees and hang from branches. In the adjoining playground, older children are enthusiastically acting out being Viking berserkers, while Year 5 children are using digital cameras to make their own cartoons. Staff have been trained to think about how to communicate better with boys. "You need to use far more empathy and get their full attention. For example, you might crouch down and say, 'I understand you're upset...' and talk it through, and then say 'So do you think it might be a good idea to say sorry?'," explains assistant head Tracy Annal. When it comes to developing literacy, "Boys have to have a reason for what they are doing, and you have to do it in a practical way."
Behaviour policies are firm and fair, team spirit is fostered, and an awards system gives children merits for doing well. Boys are also encouraged to be playground mentors, helping children who are feeling lonely or who are bullied.
"I became a mentor because I'd been bullied," says Thomas Ramsay, 10. "I like helping other people and it helps if you know what children feel like when it's happening to them."
Teachers say much of their training highlighted what they already knew, but making it more explicit has brought results - the school's national test benchmark English results went up by 2 per cent in 2005, and maths results went up by 6 per cent. Gillian Wilson, a Year 5 teacher, says that as a result of the project she has "changed it all, thrown it all out" and brought in more drama and role play to her lessons, changed her choice of books, and found new ways to teach literacy. "This has really developed me as a teacher, and hooked in the boys. Their creative writing is fantastic now!"
Across the city at Salt Grammar School, teachers have been trained in boy-friendly methods and resources, and are seeing test scores go up, although deputy head teacher IanMorrel stresses the importance of making changes subtle and low-profile.
Boys tend to like clear, multipart lessons where they know what they are going to do and how they are going to do it. They prefer active learning and practical tasks to reading and writing, and can be drawn out by direct questioning.
"Boys don't put up their hands in class," points out Morrel. "They tend to think, 'Oh, she's going to answer, so there's no point thinking about it.' But if they know they might be picked, they have to think it through.''
At GCSE, where boys can flounder in the face of large pieces of coursework, teachers now know to "chunk it down" by spelling out clearly what has to be done and encouraging pupils to focus on one thing at a time.
Boys' literacy has been developed through daily quiet reading, increasing the number of boy-friendly library books and library lessons. Librarian Jean Luxford often finds herself buying requested books on sports or motorbikes. "We often have twice as many boys in the library as girls. They have their heads down and are reading!"
The school is supporting capable but underachieving younger pupils. Borderline pupils in years 9, 10 and 11 have been given study support and a programme of activities and visits. They have learnt the importance of evaluating and redrafting work, and taught different methods for revision.
Sixth-formers act as mentors, and the success has been clear. This year almost all the Year 9 pupils hit their maths and science target level, and 61 per cent got one or two grades higher in maths than expected.
Ben Priestley, 13, was "well chuffed" that his results exceeded expectations, and says his geography teacher expects an A* from him at GCSE! "The group wasn't for people who were thick or naughty, just those who needed a bit of oomph putting into them. I knew I could do it. I just didn't know how to express it.
"We did a lot of group work and a lot about how to learn, and about people skills and how to talk to people. I'm a lot more confident now. We were taken to see Imran Khan, and I stood up in front of 500 people and asked a question! I just feel a lot better about everything. Everyone should have this sort of thing."
Mentor Tom Hickey, 17, says he volunteered because he remembers being in the same position at their age and not getting help. "My role in the group was just to answer questions and help them through. But it's helped my skills, too. I'm thinking of being a social worker. And it really works. I'd recommend it to anyone."
Eighteen secondary schools and 59 primary schools are now involved in the project, and their work is beginning to attract widespread interest.
"We have consistent data across all schools. Last year's Sats results were encouraging, and we're getting lots of reports of a calmer atmosphere and of changes in individual behaviour," says Chris Ford. "We're not surprised by what has happened, but we are a bit surprised by the speed of it." What needs to be done now, he says, is to consolidate it and make sure it "sticks" in schools."But there's no reason to think this wouldn't work anywhere. After all, we didn't invent it. It's what Ofsted and HMI and other people have been saying for years. All we've done is to take their good advice and turn it into effective practice - but in a way that allows every school to tailor it to its own setting."
Experts have been wringing their hands at the underachievement of boys. But now a group of schools in Yorkshire is showing the world how to kick-start their enthusiasm for learning.
Hilary Wilce reports
Boys don't do well in school. They work less hard than girls, act up in class, and fall down in exams. Their underperformance hampers their life chances and blights society - disaffected youths are the main perpetrators of violence and anti-social behaviour. Yet to many teachers and parents their failure is an enigma. What can you do, they shrug. They're boys.
The answer is: a lot. And fast. In fact, a city-wide project is proving that we already know exactly what to do to get boys going. And when it is done, results show up almost immediately.
Eighteen months ago a group of Bradford schools set out to raise boys' school marks, behaviour and aspirations. A pilot group of 22 primary schools began the work, and 18 of them improved boys' attainments within the year, with 13 seeing an average increase of 5 per cent in literacy and 10 per cent in numeracy in national test scores.
Teachers are also seeing a real turnaround in boys' attitudes, and boys are reporting changes. "I feel a lot better about everything," says Grant Steel, 14, whose secondary school is one of the nearly half of all Bradford schools now involved in the project. "I'm much more positive about what I can do now."
A number of separate actions are fuelling the change, but behind them all is the realisation that many of the things that motivate boys have been stripped out of schools with recent reforms. Girls have stoically adapted to the changes, but boys have often lost the plot.
"Over the past 15 years school has become a more narrow and drier kind of affair for some pupils," says Chris Ford, director of the city's Excellence in Cities Action Zone, which is running the project. "The pressure is all on literacy and numeracy. There is less time for a broader curriculum. But if you have a rich curriculum, hands-on learning, a rich life beyond class, and behaviour policies that are firm and plain, then boys and girls achieve equally."
There are, he says, about a dozen small things schools can do, "but when you have got them all going on, the overall culture of the schools shifts and you see reactions very, very quickly, usually within a couple of terms."
Boys tend to have high energy levels and need active lessons and lively sports programmes. They like to be given good reasons for doing things, enjoy practical tasks and often prefer non-fiction reading. They are uncomfortable with feelings, can find it hard to express themselves, and need people to understand that underneath their rowdy behaviour can lurk very low self-confidence.
However, give them firm behaviour boundaries, clearly structured work, and a sense of respect and attention, and they not only flourish, but relish the feeling of belonging to an institution they are proud of. "Once a school gets boys on board, they become really strong ambassadors," says Chris Ford. "They are proud to wear the shirt."
The project is training teachers to be more aware of these needs and encouraging schools to draw up action plans. But there is no magic template. What schools do varies according to their circumstances.
The project has brought in expert tutors, such as Gary Wilson, an education consultant who has spent years supporting boys' achievement as an adviser in Kirklees, and has encouraged teachers to think about how to develop boys' reading, writing, and emotional literacy.
However, Ford stresses that boys are not "a problem", nor do they all fit the stereotype. The Bradford work addresses broad tendencies, and the things it advocates are good for girls, too. "What this is all about is offering differentiated provision according to the learning needs of pupils. I would like to see it as a normal part of any school's development plan."
At Shirley Manor Primary School, learning is visibly lively and active. Nursery children - girls as well as boys - climb trees and hang from branches. In the adjoining playground, older children are enthusiastically acting out being Viking berserkers, while Year 5 children are using digital cameras to make their own cartoons. Staff have been trained to think about how to communicate better with boys. "You need to use far more empathy and get their full attention. For example, you might crouch down and say, 'I understand you're upset...' and talk it through, and then say 'So do you think it might be a good idea to say sorry?'," explains assistant head Tracy Annal. When it comes to developing literacy, "Boys have to have a reason for what they are doing, and you have to do it in a practical way."
Behaviour policies are firm and fair, team spirit is fostered, and an awards system gives children merits for doing well. Boys are also encouraged to be playground mentors, helping children who are feeling lonely or who are bullied.
"I became a mentor because I'd been bullied," says Thomas Ramsay, 10. "I like helping other people and it helps if you know what children feel like when it's happening to them."
Teachers say much of their training highlighted what they already knew, but making it more explicit has brought results - the school's national test benchmark English results went up by 2 per cent in 2005, and maths results went up by 6 per cent. Gillian Wilson, a Year 5 teacher, says that as a result of the project she has "changed it all, thrown it all out" and brought in more drama and role play to her lessons, changed her choice of books, and found new ways to teach literacy. "This has really developed me as a teacher, and hooked in the boys. Their creative writing is fantastic now!"
Across the city at Salt Grammar School, teachers have been trained in boy-friendly methods and resources, and are seeing test scores go up, although deputy head teacher IanMorrel stresses the importance of making changes subtle and low-profile.
Boys tend to like clear, multipart lessons where they know what they are going to do and how they are going to do it. They prefer active learning and practical tasks to reading and writing, and can be drawn out by direct questioning.
"Boys don't put up their hands in class," points out Morrel. "They tend to think, 'Oh, she's going to answer, so there's no point thinking about it.' But if they know they might be picked, they have to think it through.''
At GCSE, where boys can flounder in the face of large pieces of coursework, teachers now know to "chunk it down" by spelling out clearly what has to be done and encouraging pupils to focus on one thing at a time.
Boys' literacy has been developed through daily quiet reading, increasing the number of boy-friendly library books and library lessons. Librarian Jean Luxford often finds herself buying requested books on sports or motorbikes. "We often have twice as many boys in the library as girls. They have their heads down and are reading!"
The school is supporting capable but underachieving younger pupils. Borderline pupils in years 9, 10 and 11 have been given study support and a programme of activities and visits. They have learnt the importance of evaluating and redrafting work, and taught different methods for revision.
Sixth-formers act as mentors, and the success has been clear. This year almost all the Year 9 pupils hit their maths and science target level, and 61 per cent got one or two grades higher in maths than expected.
Ben Priestley, 13, was "well chuffed" that his results exceeded expectations, and says his geography teacher expects an A* from him at GCSE! "The group wasn't for people who were thick or naughty, just those who needed a bit of oomph putting into them. I knew I could do it. I just didn't know how to express it.
"We did a lot of group work and a lot about how to learn, and about people skills and how to talk to people. I'm a lot more confident now. We were taken to see Imran Khan, and I stood up in front of 500 people and asked a question! I just feel a lot better about everything. Everyone should have this sort of thing."
Mentor Tom Hickey, 17, says he volunteered because he remembers being in the same position at their age and not getting help. "My role in the group was just to answer questions and help them through. But it's helped my skills, too. I'm thinking of being a social worker. And it really works. I'd recommend it to anyone."
Eighteen secondary schools and 59 primary schools are now involved in the project, and their work is beginning to attract widespread interest.
"We have consistent data across all schools. Last year's Sats results were encouraging, and we're getting lots of reports of a calmer atmosphere and of changes in individual behaviour," says Chris Ford. "We're not surprised by what has happened, but we are a bit surprised by the speed of it." What needs to be done now, he says, is to consolidate it and make sure it "sticks" in schools."But there's no reason to think this wouldn't work anywhere. After all, we didn't invent it. It's what Ofsted and HMI and other people have been saying for years. All we've done is to take their good advice and turn it into effective practice - but in a way that allows every school to tailor it to its own setting."
More boys struggling in school
[Nightly News, Jan. 22]
After years spent closing the achievement gap for girls, now boys are struggling. While they're holding their own on math and science tests, boys are falling behind girls in reading and... Jan. 22: After years spent closing the achievement gap for girls, now boys are struggling. While they're holding their own on math and science tests, boys are falling behind girls in reading and writing. Jonathan Alter of Newsweek and NBC News.
VIDEO
After years spent closing the achievement gap for girls, now boys are struggling. While they're holding their own on math and science tests, boys are falling behind girls in reading and... Jan. 22: After years spent closing the achievement gap for girls, now boys are struggling. While they're holding their own on math and science tests, boys are falling behind girls in reading and writing. Jonathan Alter of Newsweek and NBC News.
VIDEO
‘The Alpha Effect’. Assessing how boys and girls influence each other
[Newsweek, Jan 2, 2008]
Evan Thomas
A few years ago a dean at Dartmouth College remarked to some friends that she was a little disappointed by the progress of coeducation at Dartmouth, an excellent and famous school but one with a long and well-earned reputation for hard-drinking fraternity boys. After Dartmouth went coed in the '70s, said the dean, she had hoped that the women would civilize the men. Instead, the opposite happened: the men made ruffians of the women.
I thought of that remark when I read an article in the January issue of Harvard magazine about Dan Kindlon, a clinical psychologist and adjunct lecturer at the Harvard School of Public Health and the author of a book, "Alpha Girls: Understanding the New American Girl and How She Is Changing the World" (2006). Kindlon speaks approvingly about watching his daughter Julia, a softball catcher, defending the plate against a base runner, another girl, who knocks her down. A little scraped and bruised, Julia picks herself up and feels a sense of pride. "It was a character-building experience that very few girls growing up in an earlier generation had a chance to have," says Kindlon. "People who say that girls aren't competitive and don't enjoy winning have never gone to a game and watched!"
Kindlon reports signs of the "alpha girl" psychology not just in the "mean girl" type that has long dominated the high-school cafeteria but in all girls. It's a legacy of "emancipated confidence" bequeathed by feminism over the past three or four decades—almost two generations by now. In the '80s and '90s psychologists worried about young teen girls losing their confidence, but those fears have abated as these girls have plunged into the male world as equals (and even superiors: girls are at least marginally better at the skills and work habits that get you into college these days and now count for majorities of the entering classes at law and medical schools).
Girls may be becoming "alphas," but I think Kindlon is missing something here. By becoming more aggressively confident, girls have sacrificed qualities that more boys should aspire to or seek to emulate. Along the way, an early premise of feminism has been distorted, if not turned upside down. In the early '80s Carol Gilligan, who held the first chair in gender studies at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, "lamented that girls in their teens compromised their authenticity to fit gender roles, thereby 'losing their voice'." Girls were more naturally into relationships and sought consensus, whereas boys prized individuality and cared about justice, Gilligan wrote. Apparently, these days the girls have become more like boys—tougher, more aggressive about asserting their individuality. But that's not what Gilligan and an earlier generation of feminists, including that Dartmouth dean, were hoping for: they wanted the boys to become more like girls, softer and kinder, if you will, but also more emotionally mature about human relationships.
I see the "alpha effect" at Princeton, where I teach a course on narrative writing. The women are strong and confident and often outperform the boys. They are as career-minded and focused as their male peers. But there are some shadows. Not a few of them seem sad about a social system that prizes the one-night hookup and downplays (and indeed has pretty well eliminated) courtship. There is probably less heedless college sex than parents fear, and we should be thankful for the confidence and toughness that many girls show. Still, it's too bad that the boys have not progressed as far as the girls. The Dartmouth dean was right: the girls could have a civilizing effect on the boys. But I don't think it will happen until the girls insist on it—that the boys treat them with more respect.
Evan Thomas
A few years ago a dean at Dartmouth College remarked to some friends that she was a little disappointed by the progress of coeducation at Dartmouth, an excellent and famous school but one with a long and well-earned reputation for hard-drinking fraternity boys. After Dartmouth went coed in the '70s, said the dean, she had hoped that the women would civilize the men. Instead, the opposite happened: the men made ruffians of the women.
I thought of that remark when I read an article in the January issue of Harvard magazine about Dan Kindlon, a clinical psychologist and adjunct lecturer at the Harvard School of Public Health and the author of a book, "Alpha Girls: Understanding the New American Girl and How She Is Changing the World" (2006). Kindlon speaks approvingly about watching his daughter Julia, a softball catcher, defending the plate against a base runner, another girl, who knocks her down. A little scraped and bruised, Julia picks herself up and feels a sense of pride. "It was a character-building experience that very few girls growing up in an earlier generation had a chance to have," says Kindlon. "People who say that girls aren't competitive and don't enjoy winning have never gone to a game and watched!"
Kindlon reports signs of the "alpha girl" psychology not just in the "mean girl" type that has long dominated the high-school cafeteria but in all girls. It's a legacy of "emancipated confidence" bequeathed by feminism over the past three or four decades—almost two generations by now. In the '80s and '90s psychologists worried about young teen girls losing their confidence, but those fears have abated as these girls have plunged into the male world as equals (and even superiors: girls are at least marginally better at the skills and work habits that get you into college these days and now count for majorities of the entering classes at law and medical schools).
Girls may be becoming "alphas," but I think Kindlon is missing something here. By becoming more aggressively confident, girls have sacrificed qualities that more boys should aspire to or seek to emulate. Along the way, an early premise of feminism has been distorted, if not turned upside down. In the early '80s Carol Gilligan, who held the first chair in gender studies at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, "lamented that girls in their teens compromised their authenticity to fit gender roles, thereby 'losing their voice'." Girls were more naturally into relationships and sought consensus, whereas boys prized individuality and cared about justice, Gilligan wrote. Apparently, these days the girls have become more like boys—tougher, more aggressive about asserting their individuality. But that's not what Gilligan and an earlier generation of feminists, including that Dartmouth dean, were hoping for: they wanted the boys to become more like girls, softer and kinder, if you will, but also more emotionally mature about human relationships.
I see the "alpha effect" at Princeton, where I teach a course on narrative writing. The women are strong and confident and often outperform the boys. They are as career-minded and focused as their male peers. But there are some shadows. Not a few of them seem sad about a social system that prizes the one-night hookup and downplays (and indeed has pretty well eliminated) courtship. There is probably less heedless college sex than parents fear, and we should be thankful for the confidence and toughness that many girls show. Still, it's too bad that the boys have not progressed as far as the girls. The Dartmouth dean was right: the girls could have a civilizing effect on the boys. But I don't think it will happen until the girls insist on it—that the boys treat them with more respect.
Toy weapons 'help boys to learn'
[BBC News, 29 December 2007]
Boys in nursery schools should not be discouraged from playing with toy guns and other weapons, the government says.
In guidance for nurseries in England, the Department for Children, Schools and Families says staff should resist a "natural instinct" to stop such play.
It says role playing helps create the right conditions for boys' learning and could help them become more engaged in education in the future.
Teachers have condemned the advice, saying toy guns "symbolise aggression".
The guidance - entitled Confident, Capable and Creative: Supporting Boys' Achievements - says "practitioners" often find boys' chosen type of play "more difficult to understand and value than that of girls".
Boys regularly use "images and ideas gleaned from the media" as starting points in play, the advice says, which "may involve characters with special powers or weapons".
"Adults can find this type of play particularly challenging and have a natural instinct to stop it," the guidance continues.
"This is not necessary as long as practitioners help the boys to understand and respect the rights of other children and to take responsibility for the resources and environment."
Fostering these "forms of play" helps to "enhance every aspect of their learning and development", it adds.
Better results
Boys' underachievement in schools has been a source of concern for teachers and ministers.
Girls are more likely to get the benchmark five good GCSEs than boys and more girls do better at A-level.
But the National Union of Teachers (NUT) has criticised the government's advice on toy guns.
General secretary Steve Sinnott said the problem with toy weapons was that they "symbolise aggression".
"The trouble with weapons is that the toy gun is often accompanied by aggression.
"The reason why teachers often intervene when kids have toy guns is that the boy is usually being very aggressive."
Gender stereotyping
Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT teachers' union, said any nursery following the government's advice risked angering parents.
"Many parents take the decision that their children won't have toy weapons," she said.
"In addition to that, I think this is a clear example of gender stereotyping.
"I do not think schools should be encouraging boys to play with toy weapons."
But children's minister Beverley Hughes said the advice took a "common-sense approach" to the fact that many young children favoured boisterous, physical activity.
Many boys liked pretending to be superheroes or playing at "Star Wars characters with their lightsabres", she said.
"Although noisy for adults such imaginary games are good for their development as well as good fun."
But she added: "The guidance also impresses upon staff the need to teach children that they must respect one another and that harming another person in the real world is not acceptable."
Boys in nursery schools should not be discouraged from playing with toy guns and other weapons, the government says.
In guidance for nurseries in England, the Department for Children, Schools and Families says staff should resist a "natural instinct" to stop such play.
It says role playing helps create the right conditions for boys' learning and could help them become more engaged in education in the future.
Teachers have condemned the advice, saying toy guns "symbolise aggression".
The guidance - entitled Confident, Capable and Creative: Supporting Boys' Achievements - says "practitioners" often find boys' chosen type of play "more difficult to understand and value than that of girls".
Boys regularly use "images and ideas gleaned from the media" as starting points in play, the advice says, which "may involve characters with special powers or weapons".
"Adults can find this type of play particularly challenging and have a natural instinct to stop it," the guidance continues.
"This is not necessary as long as practitioners help the boys to understand and respect the rights of other children and to take responsibility for the resources and environment."
Fostering these "forms of play" helps to "enhance every aspect of their learning and development", it adds.
Better results
Boys' underachievement in schools has been a source of concern for teachers and ministers.
Girls are more likely to get the benchmark five good GCSEs than boys and more girls do better at A-level.
But the National Union of Teachers (NUT) has criticised the government's advice on toy guns.
General secretary Steve Sinnott said the problem with toy weapons was that they "symbolise aggression".
"The trouble with weapons is that the toy gun is often accompanied by aggression.
"The reason why teachers often intervene when kids have toy guns is that the boy is usually being very aggressive."
Gender stereotyping
Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT teachers' union, said any nursery following the government's advice risked angering parents.
"Many parents take the decision that their children won't have toy weapons," she said.
"In addition to that, I think this is a clear example of gender stereotyping.
"I do not think schools should be encouraging boys to play with toy weapons."
But children's minister Beverley Hughes said the advice took a "common-sense approach" to the fact that many young children favoured boisterous, physical activity.
Many boys liked pretending to be superheroes or playing at "Star Wars characters with their lightsabres", she said.
"Although noisy for adults such imaginary games are good for their development as well as good fun."
But she added: "The guidance also impresses upon staff the need to teach children that they must respect one another and that harming another person in the real world is not acceptable."
‘The Alpha Effect’. Assessing how boys and girls influence each other
[Newsweek, Jan 2, 2008]
Evan Thomas
A few years ago a dean at Dartmouth College remarked to some friends that she was a little disappointed by the progress of coeducation at Dartmouth, an excellent and famous school but one with a long and well-earned reputation for hard-drinking fraternity boys. After Dartmouth went coed in the '70s, said the dean, she had hoped that the women would civilize the men. Instead, the opposite happened: the men made ruffians of the women.
I thought of that remark when I read an article in the January issue of Harvard magazine about Dan Kindlon, a clinical psychologist and adjunct lecturer at the Harvard School of Public Health and the author of a book, "Alpha Girls: Understanding the New American Girl and How She Is Changing the World" (2006). Kindlon speaks approvingly about watching his daughter Julia, a softball catcher, defending the plate against a base runner, another girl, who knocks her down. A little scraped and bruised, Julia picks herself up and feels a sense of pride. "It was a character-building experience that very few girls growing up in an earlier generation had a chance to have," says Kindlon. "People who say that girls aren't competitive and don't enjoy winning have never gone to a game and watched!"
Kindlon reports signs of the "alpha girl" psychology not just in the "mean girl" type that has long dominated the high-school cafeteria but in all girls. It's a legacy of "emancipated confidence" bequeathed by feminism over the past three or four decades—almost two generations by now. In the '80s and '90s psychologists worried about young teen girls losing their confidence, but those fears have abated as these girls have plunged into the male world as equals (and even superiors: girls are at least marginally better at the skills and work habits that get you into college these days and now count for majorities of the entering classes at law and medical schools).
Girls may be becoming "alphas," but I think Kindlon is missing something here. By becoming more aggressively confident, girls have sacrificed qualities that more boys should aspire to or seek to emulate. Along the way, an early premise of feminism has been distorted, if not turned upside down. In the early '80s Carol Gilligan, who held the first chair in gender studies at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, "lamented that girls in their teens compromised their authenticity to fit gender roles, thereby 'losing their voice'." Girls were more naturally into relationships and sought consensus, whereas boys prized individuality and cared about justice, Gilligan wrote. Apparently, these days the girls have become more like boys—tougher, more aggressive about asserting their individuality. But that's not what Gilligan and an earlier generation of feminists, including that Dartmouth dean, were hoping for: they wanted the boys to become more like girls, softer and kinder, if you will, but also more emotionally mature about human relationships.
I see the "alpha effect" at Princeton, where I teach a course on narrative writing. The women are strong and confident and often outperform the boys. They are as career-minded and focused as their male peers. But there are some shadows. Not a few of them seem sad about a social system that prizes the one-night hookup and downplays (and indeed has pretty well eliminated) courtship. There is probably less heedless college sex than parents fear, and we should be thankful for the confidence and toughness that many girls show. Still, it's too bad that the boys have not progressed as far as the girls. The Dartmouth dean was right: the girls could have a civilizing effect on the boys. But I don't think it will happen until the girls insist on it—that the boys treat them with more respect.
Evan Thomas
A few years ago a dean at Dartmouth College remarked to some friends that she was a little disappointed by the progress of coeducation at Dartmouth, an excellent and famous school but one with a long and well-earned reputation for hard-drinking fraternity boys. After Dartmouth went coed in the '70s, said the dean, she had hoped that the women would civilize the men. Instead, the opposite happened: the men made ruffians of the women.
I thought of that remark when I read an article in the January issue of Harvard magazine about Dan Kindlon, a clinical psychologist and adjunct lecturer at the Harvard School of Public Health and the author of a book, "Alpha Girls: Understanding the New American Girl and How She Is Changing the World" (2006). Kindlon speaks approvingly about watching his daughter Julia, a softball catcher, defending the plate against a base runner, another girl, who knocks her down. A little scraped and bruised, Julia picks herself up and feels a sense of pride. "It was a character-building experience that very few girls growing up in an earlier generation had a chance to have," says Kindlon. "People who say that girls aren't competitive and don't enjoy winning have never gone to a game and watched!"
Kindlon reports signs of the "alpha girl" psychology not just in the "mean girl" type that has long dominated the high-school cafeteria but in all girls. It's a legacy of "emancipated confidence" bequeathed by feminism over the past three or four decades—almost two generations by now. In the '80s and '90s psychologists worried about young teen girls losing their confidence, but those fears have abated as these girls have plunged into the male world as equals (and even superiors: girls are at least marginally better at the skills and work habits that get you into college these days and now count for majorities of the entering classes at law and medical schools).
Girls may be becoming "alphas," but I think Kindlon is missing something here. By becoming more aggressively confident, girls have sacrificed qualities that more boys should aspire to or seek to emulate. Along the way, an early premise of feminism has been distorted, if not turned upside down. In the early '80s Carol Gilligan, who held the first chair in gender studies at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, "lamented that girls in their teens compromised their authenticity to fit gender roles, thereby 'losing their voice'." Girls were more naturally into relationships and sought consensus, whereas boys prized individuality and cared about justice, Gilligan wrote. Apparently, these days the girls have become more like boys—tougher, more aggressive about asserting their individuality. But that's not what Gilligan and an earlier generation of feminists, including that Dartmouth dean, were hoping for: they wanted the boys to become more like girls, softer and kinder, if you will, but also more emotionally mature about human relationships.
I see the "alpha effect" at Princeton, where I teach a course on narrative writing. The women are strong and confident and often outperform the boys. They are as career-minded and focused as their male peers. But there are some shadows. Not a few of them seem sad about a social system that prizes the one-night hookup and downplays (and indeed has pretty well eliminated) courtship. There is probably less heedless college sex than parents fear, and we should be thankful for the confidence and toughness that many girls show. Still, it's too bad that the boys have not progressed as far as the girls. The Dartmouth dean was right: the girls could have a civilizing effect on the boys. But I don't think it will happen until the girls insist on it—that the boys treat them with more respect.
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