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American Education and Boys

Columnist David Brooks of The New York Times writes about Henry V and modern-day education. Brooks thinks Henry V was one of Shakespeare’s greatest characters, revealing a wild young boy who became courageous in his older years. Brooks asks an interesting question, “what if Henry went to an American school?”

Brooks takes readers through the state of modern education in America pointing out the “education system has become culturally cohesive, rewarding and encouraging a certain sort of person: one who is nurturing, collaborative, disciplined, neat, studious, industrious and ambitious. People who don’t fit this cultural ideal respond by disengaging and rebelling.”

Even if you don’t agree with everything Brooks says, it’s interesting that today, boys are the ones more likely to have problems in schools. In a day when, “Some colleges are lowering the admissions requirements just so they can admit a decent number of men. Even so, men make up just over 40 percent of college students.” There is a problem. And the problem may not be all with the gender. The problem may be with the school.

Read the full New York Times article.

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