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Education Opinion

More Rough and Tumble Needed in School?

By Richard Whitmire — September 20, 2011 1 min read
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Education professor Ali Carr-Chellman appears on NPR to explain her theories about how schools are not designed for boys. They get the message that their rough-and-tumble world is forbidden and conclude that school is for girls, she argues. Her solution:Let’s introduce some video games to school.

I’ve blogged about her before.

I agree that boys conclude that school is not for them. And I agree that video games are not the villain. I’m less sure that the rough and tumble issue is at the core, however. Schools have never tolerated rowdiness, even back in the days when boys were doing just fine.

My take: Boys conclude school is not for them because they can’t compete in the academically ramped up early grades.

The opinions expressed in Why Boys Fail are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.