Public SCHOOLING Vrs Homeschooling
March 6, 2013
In recent times, there has been growing concerns among policy makers about the scholastic performance of males within the education system. From the primary to the tertiary level, it is being observed that males continue to lag behind their female counterparts in terms of academic performance. It is a phenomenon that has been the subject of public discourse and one to which several studies have been dedicated to. This issue is not unique to Jamaica as throughout the Western education system, males are achieving at a slower and lower rate than females. The underachievement of the male specie has caught the attention of those at the highest level, because of the negative consequences that flow from this status quo. The reasons given for the poor performance has been many. However the three main factors attributable to the underachievement of the males in schools are: the absence of male role models in the home and school, socioeconomic status and gender socialization. Underachievement can be defined as a child failing to attain a predicted level of achievement or does not do as well as expected. (Webster, 2013) The high rate of absenteeism of paternal figures both in the homes and at schools has been suggested as a factor contributing to the underachievement of males. In every family each member is assigned a role, which he/she must play to ensure that the family effectively carries out its purpose. (Reid, 2011). In Jamaica, there’s is a large percentage of single parent households headed mostly by mothers. The low rate of matriculation of males into the tertiary and teachers college translate into very few male teachers in the classroom. Sociologists have argued about the correlation between the development of males and the presence of male role models during this process. It is argued that boys need paternal role models who they can observe, imitate and identify with, as they develop their identities (Hutchings, 2008).
In the case of
In recent times, there has been growing concerns among policy makers about the scholastic performance of males within the education system. From the primary to the tertiary level, it is being observed that males continue to lag behind their female counterparts in terms of academic performance. It is a phenomenon that has been the subject of public discourse and one to which several studies have been dedicated to. This issue is not unique to Jamaica as throughout the Western education system, males are achieving at a slower and lower rate than females. The underachievement of the male specie has caught the attention of those at the highest level, because of the negative consequences that flow from this status quo. The reasons given for the poor performance has been many. However the three main factors attributable to the underachievement of the males in schools are: the absence of male role models in the home and school, socioeconomic status and gender socialization. Underachievement can be defined as a child failing to attain a predicted level of achievement or does not do as well as expected. (Webster, 2013) The high rate of absenteeism of paternal figures both in the homes and at schools has been suggested as a factor contributing to the underachievement of males. In every family each member is assigned a role, which he/she must play to ensure that the family effectively carries out its purpose. (Reid, 2011). In Jamaica, there’s is a large percentage of single parent households headed mostly by mothers. The low rate of matriculation of males into the tertiary and teachers college translate into very few male teachers in the classroom. Sociologists have argued about the correlation between the development of males and the presence of male role models during this process. It is argued that boys need paternal role models who they can observe, imitate and identify with, as they develop their identities (Hutchings, 2008).
In the case of