http://www.whyboysfail.com/2009/11/05/even-more-reasons-to-love-the-boy-troubles-debate-in-canada/ Just another WordPress weblog Mon, 06 Sep 2010 21:25:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 http://www.whyboysfail.com/2009/11/05/even-more-reasons-to-love-the-boy-troubles-debate-in-canada/#comment-12546 Crystal Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:37:35 +0000 http://www.whyboysfail.com/?p=1156#comment-12546 I agree with the above. There are still quite a few internet boy millionaires out there, I work for a 21 year old who got his start at the ripe old age of 14. I agree with the above. There are still quite a few internet boy millionaires out there, I work for a 21 year old who got his start at the ripe old age of 14.

]]> http://www.whyboysfail.com/2009/11/05/even-more-reasons-to-love-the-boy-troubles-debate-in-canada/#comment-12545 Crusty old academic Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:02:52 +0000 http://www.whyboysfail.com/?p=1156#comment-12545 And one should also read the column on college admissions in today's NY Times. It is slowly getting through to people that college admissions, at least at high prestige institutions is only vaguely related to "merit", at least if merit is defined as some combination of high school academic achievement measures (grades, AP scores, SAT's, glowing letters from teachers) and fashionable extracurricular activities. If diversity includes an approximate balance of male and female enrollments, then measures of merit can be defined to achieve that. It is also possible to define merit so that incoming classes are almost entirely male or entirely female. A possible merit-based standard for male/female balance would be to define as one of the goals of the institution as development of well-educated citizens with high ethical standards as well as technical proficiency in some specialty. If the institution is open to all, then there has to be some balance of men and women, since they are equally needful of both ethics and proficiency. We have recent good evidence from the world of high finance that serious problems can arise if excellent technical skills are not accompanied by high ethical standards. One could also define merit to be demonstration of potential for high-risk entrepeneurship accompanied by potential for the highest engineering/scientific/financial excellence because both are required to build advanced new industries that can rebuild the country's prosperity and compete globally. Guess what class composition that standard would produce. Anyone who remembers the boy millionaires of the dot.com 1990's already knows the answer. And one should also read the column on college admissions in today’s NY Times.
It is slowly getting through to people that college admissions, at least at high prestige institutions is only vaguely related to “merit”, at least if merit is defined as some combination of high school academic achievement measures (grades, AP scores, SAT’s, glowing letters from teachers) and fashionable extracurricular activities.
If diversity includes an approximate balance of male and female enrollments, then measures of merit can be defined to achieve that. It is also possible to define merit so that incoming classes are almost entirely male or entirely female. A possible merit-based standard for male/female balance would be to define as one of the goals of the institution as development of well-educated citizens with high ethical standards as well as technical proficiency in some specialty. If the institution is open to all, then there has to be some balance of men and women, since they are equally needful of both ethics and proficiency. We have recent good evidence from the world of high finance that serious problems can arise if excellent technical skills are not accompanied by high ethical standards.
One could also define merit to be demonstration of potential for high-risk entrepeneurship accompanied by potential for the highest engineering/scientific/financial excellence because both are required to build advanced new industries that can rebuild the country’s prosperity and compete globally. Guess what class composition that standard would produce. Anyone who remembers the boy millionaires of the dot.com 1990’s already knows the answer.

]]> http://www.whyboysfail.com/2009/11/05/even-more-reasons-to-love-the-boy-troubles-debate-in-canada/#comment-12544 Anonymous Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:34:35 +0000 http://www.whyboysfail.com/?p=1156#comment-12544 This article suggests what may be the avenue towards much wider public awareness of the whole issue of educational problems with boys. There is something about certain stories that propels them to intense national attention. One of the best recent examples is the Balloon Boy story. Lawrence Summers became a big story and left the Harvard Presidency because of his remarks. Maybe there will be a big discrimination lawsuit by a woman against some big school that will propel the whole issue to the front pages. This article suggests what may be the avenue towards much wider public awareness of the whole issue of educational problems with boys. There is something about certain stories that propels them to intense national attention. One of the best recent examples is the Balloon Boy story. Lawrence Summers became a big story and left the Harvard Presidency because of his remarks. Maybe there will be a big discrimination lawsuit by a woman against some big school that will propel the whole issue to the front pages.

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