The "No Warrior Ethic": Why educators are failing today's boys

The “No Warrior” ethic: Why schools are failing to educate boys.

In the last twenty years educators have taken great strides forward in educating girls. Rather than joining boys at the top of human success, they have replaced them, with gains in girl outcomes being balanced by losses in both learning outcome and behaviour in boys. The drive to remove all vestiges of the warrior ethic from our school system, removing the competitive drive, the honour and status that comes from success (academic, creative, or athletic) and from taking an active leadership role in the social order of the school has removed all positive aspects of the warrior ethic from our schools. The problems of bullying, of depression, and academic failure have not been banished with the removal of the warrior code, rather, without the warrior ethic and drive our boys are failing to reach their potential, failing to reach out to the school community; failing to achieve in fields both academic and social.

http://educhatter.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/the-boy-problem-in-schools-has-feminization-gone-too-far/ below
• Only 31.9 per cent of boys have overall marks of at least 80 per cent, compared to 46.3 per cent who make the A grade.
• Only 20. 4 per cent of boys score in the top 25 % on standardized reading tests, compared to 30.1 per cent of girls. Thirty per cent of boys score in the bottom 25 per cent, while only 19 per cent of girls do so.
• Nearly one in 10 boys repeat a grade (9.9 per cent) compared to 6.5 per cent of girls.
• Boys are diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and prescribed medication three times as often as girls.
• In Ontario, just 27 per cent of teachers are male, down from 31 per cent a decade ago. In B.C., 28 per cent of practising teachers are male.
• Young men are now the minority in most university classes , and women account for about 60 per cent of all Canadian undergraduates. Only 31.9 per cent of boys have overall marks of at least 80 per cent, compared to 46.3 per cent who make the A grade.
• Only 20. 4 per cent of boys score in the top 25 % on standardized reading tests, compared to 30.1 per cent of girls. Thirty per cent of boys score in the bottom 25 per cent, while only 19 per cent of girls do so.
• Nearly one in 10 boys repeat a grade (9.9 per cent) compared to 6.5 per cent of girls.
• Boys are diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and prescribed medication three times as often as girls.
• In Ontario, just 27 per cent of teachers are male, down from 31 per cent a decade ago. In B.C., 28 per cent of practising teachers are male.
• Young men are now the minority in most university classes , and women account for about 60 per cent of all Canadian undergraduates.
Professor Par (McGill University Faculty of Education) notes:
“When most of the teachers, elementary school principals, and support staff are women and “the token male on staff tends to teach phys ed,” he says, the entire system has an intrinsic bias against boys.
“Females are making the decisions, they're choosing the books, and setting up the class.” Which is why he believes that the early grades focus too heavily on sitting still, and stress co-operation over competition” . http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/time-to-lead/failing-boys/part-2-the-endangered-male-teacher/article1761237/page2/

Educators have removed competition and the spectre of failure from students, out of fear a loss would turn a child off striving. Letter grades are no longer given on report card grades in primary schools, and no negative comments are allowed. Indeed the BC Teachers federation wishes to do away with standardized testing and achievement reporting at all in primary grades so that all children can be deemed equally successful regardless of their actual performance http://bctf.ca/publications/NewsmagArticle.aspx?id=8028
The emasculation of competition has not stayed in the classroom, now the last vestige of competitive fire, the last socially acceptable school outlet for a warriors drive and ambition, the playing field, is itself a target for educators and social workers to again attempt to force boys into a passive collectivist mould rather than a competitive hierarchical mould as they naturally socialize. http://www.sports-media.org/sportapolisnewsletter16.htm
“Who would benefit from inter-school sport competition at the elementary level? The most skilled and fit students in any classroom benefit most from competition. They enjoy a physical, as well as, social and emotional advantage because they are the most likely to be successful and to get recognition for their achievements (Coakley, J. (2000). Sport in society: Issues and controversies (6th ed.). Toronto, Canada: Times Mirror/Mosby., McKenzie, T. L., & Sallis, J. F. (1996).Physical activity, fitness, and health-related physical education. In S. J. Silverman & C. D. Ennis (Eds.), Student learning in physical education: Applying research to enhance instruction (pp. 223-246). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics).”

Competition must be banned, because children could learn they have worth through their own efforts and success. Children must not base worth on demonstrable merit in any field of endevor, be it academic, creative/artistic, athletic. I do not understand why allowing children to achieve is so threateneing to educators, but shall we examine the results of their removal of the competitive warrior mindset from our school system. What has been the result of the removal of competition from the school sports programs? Has it been the rise of a kinder, gentler school, filled with well-adjusted boys who approach all problems with group consensus? Well, every child, both boy and girl who can opt out of this program already have.

“ What are concerned physical educators up against? Close to 90% of parents encourage their children to engage in sports and 60% of parents are involved in youth sports programs (Miller Lite Report on American Attitudes Toward Sports. (1983). Milwaukee, WI: Miller Brewing).” . http://www.sports-media.org/sportapolisnewsletter16.htm

What are the consequences from forcing our boys into a mould that does not allow for competition, that forces a consensus without leadership, and withholds the rewards of merit based competition? Denied any socially constructive outlet for the competitive drives, socially constructive roles for ambition or leadership, boys with the greatest potential to achieve are either giving up, or being identified as problems, or being medicated into docility.
Dr Pollack (William S. Pollack, Ph.D. is the Director of the Centers for Men and Young Men and the Director of Continuing Education (Psychology) at McLean Hospital; and is Assistant Clinical Professor (Psychology) in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School) in a recent interview with Canadian Parenting magazine noted:
“Q: You have alerted the entire country to a "national crisis of boyhood." From the evidence in your book Real Boys, we also have a "national crisis of boys education." What are the facts behind this crisis?
A: The statistics about boys’ education are startling. Eighth-grade boys are 50 percent more likely to be held back a grade than girls. By high school, 67 percent of all special-education students are boys. Boys receive 71 percent of all school suspensions and are up to 10 times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with attention-deficit disorder. http://www.canadianparents.com/article/real-boys”
With the rise of bullying in our schools, and incidents of lethal violence becoming so commonplace they are no longer even newsworthy, what are our children being taught about leadership, about stepping forward to prevent the cycle of violence from taking hold in their classrooms? They are being taught to do nothing. In fact they are being taught that even to defend themselves against direct physical attack is wrong. You will be punished for hitting back, you may ask for help as often as you want, and if the aggressor chooses to continue to attack you, you will not ever, not the first, not the hundred and first attack, have the right to stop them.

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/parents/bullying.pdf
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/parents/bullying.pdf
“Regardless of age, you can help by encouraging your child to talk to you about it
and by giving the following advice:
• Walk away from the situation.
• Don’t hit back, don’t talk back, don’t reply back.
• Tell an adult whom you trust – a teacher, the principal, the school bus
driver or the lunchroom supervisor – about what happened.
• Talk about it with your brothers or sisters or with friends, so that you don’t
feel you’re alone.
• Find a friend to be with in the places where you don’t feel safe.
• Call Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868”

The system will not allow your child to protect him or herself, will punish any of their friends or siblings who step forward to defend them, and will not ever intervene to stop an assault in progress, or promised, but they will hold meetings to help your child feel better about being a victim.
Our ancestors knew there was no virtue in victimhood, no glory in passivity. We embrace the challenges of this life and hold ourselves to the ancient warrior ethic of our folk
1. Courage-Accept your responsibility to act, to control your fear and do your duty.
2. Truth-Speak it, seek it, hear it when spoken, even if it conflicts with what you want to be true.
3. Honour-Act with it, and show equal respect to all those whose actions merit it, regardless of how you feel about them.
4. Fidelity-Loyalty to those who show it to you, or to whom you are sworn.
5. Discipline-Accept the consequences of your own actions, always.
6. Hospitality-Build and maintain the bonds of fellowship with those around you that those of good character become known to each other, and bound into a community of worth.
7. Self Reliance-Accept your responsibility for success or failure, taking all necessary steps to prepare to meet those challenges that can be forseen.
8. Industriousness-Give your full attention, full energy and drive to your efforts. Only with total commitment will you learn what you are capable of.
9. Perseverance-Without the will to endure, and the drive to continue trying, even the best plans and strategies will fail you. Commit to a course of action, endure the suffering and strain required to see it through to the end.
It is the nature of boys to be competitive. Indeed, the rise of girl’s athletics has shown the best of girls can reach the same level of competitiveness as well. Competition pits you against your peers, forces you to strive to become better than you were, teaches you how to rebound from failure to strive to become better that you go on to know victory. Competition also teaches team building. You cannot succeed alone, and you learn to work with others, learn to recognize the strengths of others, and how to draw upon the strengths of a whole group to achieve. You learn leadership, you learn to step up and take initiative.

Jocks are not the only competitors. To paraphrase Gandalf: Beware geeks, for we are subtle and quick to anger. There is no more competitive group than the intellectual unless it is the artistic. Young children who discover the joys of intellectual competition flower the same way a young wolf does when it discovers that deer tastes better than milk. Once the drive to excel, to match and overmatch a similarly gifted peer group is discovered, projects are no longer about doing enough to pass, they must be the best. It is no longer enough to be good, the child is driven to become the best, and if successful, never stops giving 100% because their peers are not ever going to give up the chance to take back the coveted position of best. Best is good. Best in anything. Competition is not restricted, there is not one kind of kid who is going to win, for every child has his or her personal strengths and will win out in something. Children who are driven are not depressed, do not feel helpless. Children who are driven and competitive do not make good victims, because they are used to struggling to overcome problems, and will not give up when bad things happen. Children who have known competitive success in any field have more strength to resist bullying, and have a community built of mutually earned respect to turn to for help.

There were two models for warriors in our society; the soldier and the street criminal. The soldier defended the folk, wielding violence in defence of the helpless and weak against those who would hurt them. The street criminal also used violence, although usually against the weak, and only for personal gain or ego. The schools have banished the soldier-warrior, and thus left our children helpless against the bandit-warrior. In eliminating the warrior ethic, they have not removed violence, they have only removed socially positive use of leadership, courage, loyalty, and collective defense of the community. In banishing the warrior ethic, loyalty now is only used to prevent children from identifying abusive peers, and force is restricted to those outlaws who care only about their own immediate gratification. It is time for our children to rediscover the spirit of competition as demonstrated here in Vancouver with the 2010 Winter Olympics. The competitive fire that builds communities by building leaders needs to return to our educational system. Our young boys and girls need to learn it is OK to want to win, to learn to be gracious about victory, and to take motivation from defeat. Our children need to know it is OK to defend themselves from attack, and to know they will be upheld by parents and teachers if they step forward to stop the abuse of others. It is time to return warrior virtue to our children, return respect to the classroom, and let merit again take its place at determining a healthier social order in our schools than celebrity style social status has.

John T Mainer
http://www.canadianparents.com/article/real-boyshttp://bctf.ca/publications/NewsmagArticle.aspx?id=8028http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/time-to-lead/failing-boys/part-2-the-endangered-male-teacher/article1761237/page2/http://www.sports-media.org/sportapolisnewsletter16.htm

As a mother of 3 boys! I have had these same sneaking suspicions for the past 20yrs myself! What is wrong with society now a days! These articles & the comments made within are not only factual, but also a sounding alarm for Mothers of Sons! I can not help but to influence my sons...& my husband can not raise MEN, if society tells us we are wrong. Not only from cradle to school, but beyond out into this world! With us being from a military background, & thrust into the civilian realm after "Nam" & well into the "thousands points of light era of the ending of the century, it has been for us, sometimes cruel & unusual punishment...our sons taking the worst of it in stride.
Our oldest son fell prey to the FAILED attempts by the school system at "medicating for hyperactivity" for an intelligent full of energy, exciting & exploratory well toned body, "regular boy"! We continued to raise our son, still focusing on re enforcement of outside energy burning activities, mental stimulation through books along with his interest in flight (model airplanes) looking directly @ a person when communicating, well balanced healthy diet, & a daily schedule to adhere to concerning responsibilities & personal upkeep! At 30yrs old, he still thrives academically, he is an ex Air Force Serviceman, happily married, with job, & enjoys people, & loves a good laugh.
Our 2d son came along the complete opposite of older brother. He was contemplative, loved to create, independent, a loner, slow to excitement, quick to anger, plagued by migraines, a dark side that he keeps hidden, was a little on the plump side. He was labeled by the school system as "intelligent but unwilling to conform." "a rebel." With 2d son, we encouraged his independence, his creativity, he won many local art contests, along with Children's High Lites Magazine drawing contest also! Cartoon Network showed one of his drawings on TV. Career day in 6th grade he was offered to cook at a 5 star restaurant in our city...with rave reviews from the chefs! We allowed him to voice his opinions even though they were usually off the beaten path of society. He was the goalie in soccer, the catcher in baseball, & the constant driving force for the underdogs of society. At the age of 16 he was arrested for hospitalizing a 25yr old abusive husband that kicked & beat his pregnant wife...the arresting cops let our son go, & warned him not to get "involved." He asked bleeding & bruised, through tears...."Man what if that chick, was YOUR mama!" At 26, he is divorced, pack leader of 2 wonderfully playful happy Australian sheepdogs, cooks for a restaurant here in town, he loves being the "go to" man when problems arise, may it be in the kitchen or during a hurricane...he is the calm of the storm. His cry of faithfulness & fairness is one that society does not want to hear now a days, his chivalry within deeds & actions this world now a days frowns upon.
Son #3, is an old soul, the outdoors man, the mover the shaker, the storyteller, the natural athlete, the born leader. The kid that was always & forever "doing" "going" "competing" with others but especially himself, the perfectionist! He repeated 3d grade because he was labeled as a boy who just "couldn't read" (change of schools brought out the avid reader, the honor roll student until he graduated.) The athlete, that played sports for something "to do" through middle & high school, he just didn't have a clue of his athletic ability. The boy that loved music from jazz to techno, playing in the band through middle & high school. The born leader that wanted nothing else than a military career & was confused when the school counselor deeply frowned upon his choice. He was told in High School on Career day he was "forbidden" to wear his fathers military uniform to school. After all a parent might think he was a war monger! At 17yrs old he became a "godfather" to his best friends no motherless daughter, he along with the friend has helped raise her, support her, to influence this baby girl, that they are there to protect, to provide, to always be there & support her in what ever she wants. She knows at the age of 4, that she is loved, & respected. The sun & moon rise & set over her daddy & "uncle". Son #3, is now 21yrs old, he is a Military Policemen for the US Army, stationed in Hawaii, wondering what else he could possible "do" with his life!
These are the boys we raised to men....not sheltered, not coddled, not excused, nor lied to, not label, not beat down for who they are. These young men, are NOT today's norm.
My husband & I have fought hard to win the "good" fight. we have given them their reins of freedom to be men among the teaming masses of non productive, non respectful, hopeless, hapless, not responsible, no direction, don't have a clue, shells of society now a days.
These insights are not necessarily the views of their mother, but of a woman, who enjoys knowing, loving, enjoying, a "good" man through thick & thin....their father!

Keep the faith. If enough parents keep trying to teach their children to be whole and hale in a world that offers them a victim card and pill at every speed bump, there is the chance the next generation will force the pendulum back to normal, and muzzle the liberal social engineers who treat childhood like a disease that parents should not be allowed to treat without their professional guidance.

Either that, or we have to step up the funding of the wolf preserves, and see if we can get some of the pack mothers to take in a couple of baldish foundlings a year. Worked in enough of the sagas.

Well, let's start by saying that I am raising identical twin 17 year old boys. Son #1 is a fighter....doesn't take any crap from anybody for any reason (well, except from his Mama 'cuz he still believes she'll "drop him" if necessary! LOL). Son #2 is passive....almost to a fault.....would get bullied at school until Son#1 stepped in and reminded said bully that Son#2 was part of a matched set! LOL Both sons repeated Kindergarten (they were born premature, so we weren't surprised) and Son #2 has ADD and is medicated. He is not at all hyperactive....just has trouble focusing on the things he wants to focus on....frustrates the hell out of him & kills me to watch.

Anyway, when they were in middle school, a kid started busting Son#1's chops.....throwing things at him in class (had a substitute teacher who was apparently not paying ANY attention to the kids). When that didn't get the desired attention, this kid grabs Son#1's book. Son#1 (not being the type to take any crap), gets up and demands his book back. Kid throws book in Son#1's face....Son#1 pushes him away....and Kid throws a punch and misses. (Side note: in our household, Sons may not throw first punch....but are expected to defend themselves if someone else throws the first punch.) SOOOO......long story short....Son#1 takes Kid down. They both go to the office where parents are called. BOTH kids get 2-day suspension even though I was specifically told that my kid did not start it and only defended himself!!!! I told principal that Son#1 would NOT be punished at home because he followed house rules to the letter.

So you see, I know exactly what you're talking about John! I'm doing my best to raise them both to stand on their own two feet and to defend themselves if necessary.....but I'm fighting an uphill battle! My husband and I have had MANY honest and frank discussions with both boys about watching out for the consequences of their actions. Just because something is morally right, doesn't mean they won't get in trouble with the law/school.

My husband and I have started noticing how many commercials out there depict the husband as stupid or incapable. Apparently this is the new "in" thing to do....makes me sick! By the time I have grandchildren, there will be no real men left! AAAHHH!!!

Beribee! Just like John said "Keep the faith." Boys NEED men to guide them, advise them, teach them the ways of men! Years ago, I was asked to teach a 9th grade Christian Doctrine class for the church me & my kids left. I declined at 1st...but they came back & asked me again. Their reasoning was: because I was the mother of boys, the class was mostly boys, & the teacher (who taught high school math) had given up because HE couldn't "control" the boys! Talk about society? Talk about the school system or the church's "looking out" for qualified people! LOL..I am not, have never been or will be a "Qualified teacher." But I will treat you with respect for I command respect myself! To make a long story short, & I believe most of you have heard it else where...the class learned, lots of things about themselves, mentally, physically & spiritually! The boys that could not, would not touch each other, ended up hugging each other at the end of the year! They respected themselves, the girls in the class, & humanity in general along with a dash of compassion for others. Sometimes a woman has to stand in, where I man won't!.....