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Education

Why Don’t Men Go To University Any More?

Published

4 days ago

7 minute read

The Audit

 

David Clinton

What will that mean for universities…and for 21st century work?

A while back, I mentioned the strange case of the disappearing university male. In that context I wondered how the educational establishment – in whose eyes a university degree is a primary success metric – are addressing the 58% (female) to 42% (male) disparity blocking male success. But I didn’t get around to asking why it’s happening.

However, here’s a fascinating recent post from American writer Celeste Davis that dives deep, deep down the rabbit hole. The article first references a handful of more mainstream theories seeking to explain the gap, including:

  • High tuition costs (which, I guess, just don’t bother women?)
  • Boys having weaker academic skills
  • Boys being exposed to negative messaging in early grades
  • Politically left-friendly campuses that attract more women
  • More high-paying career alternatives for men

Davis agrees that those are probably all contributing factors. But she turns her attention to what she feels is the big driver: male flight. Perhaps, goes the argument, young men just don’t see themselves thriving in career fields that appear to be dominated by women. The more women enrolled in last year’s university cohort, the more of this year’s men decide to check out of university altogether.

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Or, as Davis puts it:

“For every 1% increase in the proportion of women in the student body, 1.7 fewer men applied. One more woman applying was a greater deterrent than $1000 in extra tuition!”

According to Statistics Canada, overall male enrollment as a proportion of total university populations has dropped by 4.4 percent since 1992. Canada might not be experiencing the same painful overall drops in university enrollments they’re seeing south of the border, but we may not be too far behind.

All this seems to be true of universities in general, but the impact might be more visible in specific programs. In fact, the biggest changes have impacted a handful of university program categories:

  • Personal, protective and transportation services – which include law enforcement and fire fighting. Male participation dropped from 85 percent of enrollment in 1992 to just 43 percent in 2021.
  • Agriculture, natural resources, and conservation, which saw a decline from 55 percent to 38 percent.
  • Physical and life sciences and technologies saw male enrollment drop from 49 percent to 24 percent.
  • Social and behavioural sciences and law enrollment fell from 38 percent to 29 percent.

Celeste’s theory is that, rather than external forces driving declines in male participation, it’s the entry of more and more women into academic programs that lies behind the changes.

I don’t think anyone’s suggesting that the solution to the problem is to impose enrollment quotas to limit entry for women. Quotas are evil.

In fact, I’m not 100 percent convinced that this is a problem that even needs solving. That’s partly because I don’t buy the line that university is always the most reliable route to social and economic success. It’s also because I don’t see a down side to relaxing and allowing market forces to work things out for us.

One thing that is worth our attention is the damage these trends might cause the higher education industry over the long term. Upwards of three percent of Canada’s GDP can probably be attributed to the higher education sector. And Canadian universities employ more than 343,000 people – around one of every 80 employed Canadians. You and I may or may not have a direct connection to higher education, but its decline would definitely leave a mark.

It’s worth noting that, for all the chaos those trends might spark within the higher education industry, they appear to be having a surprisingly minor impact on the actual workforce.  Employment data from Statistics Canada shows us that the proportion of male workers changed by less than three percentage points between 1987 and 2023 in all but a few of the 18 job categories tracked. The exceptions included:

  • Public administration, where the percentage of workers who were male fell from 61 percent in 1987 to 48 percent in 2023.
  • Educational services, which saw the number of male teachers and administrators fall ten points from a representation of 42 percent to 32 percent.
  • Male participation in the finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing industries actually rose from 41 percent to 47 percent.

But the exceptions were far less interesting than the fields where there was no significant change. Compare the four percent drop in agricultural employment to the 30 percent by which enrollment in agriculture, natural resources and conservation programs fell.

Similarly, the 25 percent drop in male participation in science and technology programs doesn’t seem to play out in the real world: male employment in professional, scientific and technical services is effectively unchanged since 1987.

Those enrollment vs employment designations aren’t perfectly aligned, of course. And employment data does have a far longer built-in lag than university attendance. But the gaping disparity does suggest there are a lot of women signing up for courses but not following up by getting related jobs.

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Education

Saskatchewan school board defends policy to allow boys in girls’ change rooms despite parents’ protests

Published on October 23, 2024

By

From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

The rural Saskatchewan school district’s director of education said ‘it is the right thing to do for our students, staff and school communities’ to allow biological boys to use the same locker room as girls who feel uncomfortable about the situation.

Despite an outcry from concerned parents, a Canadian school board told them it supports allowing gender-confused boys access to girls’ change rooms.

Last week, LifeSiteNews reported about Balgonie Elementary School in rural Saskatchewan where a female seventh grader told her parents she was not comfortable sharing changing rooms for gym class with gender-confused biological males.

Despite the outcry, the Prairie Valley School Division (PVSD) in a recent email sent to parents claimed that the school division’s inclusivity policy trumps the rights of girls from being victimized by gender-confused boys.

“One important part of creating these safe and welcoming spaces is ensuring our schools operate in a way that respects the human rights, dignity and privacy expectations of all students and their families,” PVSD director of education Gord Husband wrote in an email to parents.

Husband said the school division’s policies and procedures are “carefully aligned with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code.”

“We operate according to these documents not only because it is our legal obligation, but also because it is the right thing to do for our students, staff and school communities,” he added.

Husband’s email did not mention the issue at Balgonie Elementary directly but instead claimed it was a “human rights” issue and asked all parents to support “all students.”

The father of the girl, who remains anonymous, said that after his daughter raised the issue of the biological males using the girls’ locker room, saying she “felt uncomfortable,” she was told, “she can change in a different room by herself.”

The issue drew the attention of Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe. He said that his first “order of business” should he be re-elected to lead the province will be to ban gender-confused boys from accessing girls’ change rooms in public schools.

One of the concerned parents noted that learning this fact is “insane.”

“Wow, that’s insane, Sask NDP candidate from the NDP party, but not surprised that someone from that party would do that to a child. The NDP is really pushing that agenda and it’s so disturbing,” said the parent, as reported by the Western Standard.

Saskatchewan’s provincial election will be held October 28.

As reported by LifeSiteNews, LGBT indoctrination targeting kids has been on the rise in Canada and worldwide, leading to Canadians fighting back in protest.

Earlier this week, LifeSiteNews reported that a leading female gender ideology activist, who also worked as a school counselor, has been charged with grievous sexual offenses involving a minor.

Provinces such as Alberta, New Brunswick, and Saskatchewan have in recent months proposed legislation that would strengthen parental rights.

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Education

Red Deer Regional Catholic Schools celebrates new school for Blackfalds

Published on October 23, 2024

By

News release from Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools

Sod turning ceremony celebrates the future of Blackfalds’ St. Veronica Catholic School

Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools (RDCRS) celebrated a significant milestone last week with the sod turning ceremony for St. Veronica Catholic School, marking the ceremonial beginning of construction for the new school in Blackfalds. The event on October 17 was filled with excitement and reverence as various members of the community gathered to celebrate the future of education in the region.

The ceremony began with greetings from Ryan Ledene, Associate Superintendent of System Services, followed by a heartfelt rendition of O’Canada performed by students from St. Gregory the Great Catholic School. RDCRS Vice-Chair Anne Marie Watson led the opening prayer, setting a tone of gratitude and hope for the new school. Jonathan Mauro, Indigenous Education Services Coordinator, then provided an acknowledgement of the land, which was followed by a teaching on the importance of the land by Elder Darryl Lickers.

Father Liju Jose from Lacombe’s St. Stephen Parish then led a beautiful liturgy, blessing the grounds of the new school.

Dignitaries, including Innisfail-Sylvan Lake MLA Devin Dreeshen (who brought greetings on behalf of Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides), Lacombe-Ponoka MLA Jennifer Johnson, Blackfalds Mayor Jamie Hoover, RDCRS Board Chair Murray Hollman, and Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Finnigan delivered greetings, emphasizing the importance of St. Veronica Catholic School as a place where students will be nurtured both academically and spiritually.

The highlight of the ceremony was the official groundbreaking, where RDCRS trustees, community leaders, dignitaries, and future students symbolically dug into the earth to signify the start of construction.

Trustee Cynthia Leyson concluded the event with a closing prayer, asking for blessings over the construction process and the future students and staff of the school.

Following the ceremony, guests were invited to a reception at the Eagle Builders Centre, where community members continued to celebrate this exciting new chapter for Blackfalds.

“This sod turning ceremony is a reflection of the excitement and growth in Blackfalds. St. Veronica Catholic School will be a vibrant addition to our division, serving the needs of our students and the community,” said Ryan Ledene, reflecting on the momentous day.

“The Board is deeply honoured to be part of this project. St. Veronica’s values of compassion and kindness align with our vision for Catholic education. We look forward to the many students who will walk through these doors and the bright futures they will build,” said Murray Hollman.

“St. Veronica Catholic School will be a place where faith, learning, and community come together. Today’s ceremony is just the beginning of a journey that will inspire generations to come,” said Superintendent Finnigan, sharing her excitement about the school’s future.

St. Veronica Catholic School will accommodate approximately 500 students. The school is designed to meet LEED Silver certification, ensuring an environmentally sustainable future for the next generation of learners.

Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools serves over 9,600 students in 21 schools in Red Deer, Blackfalds, Sylvan Lake, Rocky Mountain House, Innisfail, and Olds. It also supports the learning of over 950 students in a Home Education Program. The Division is committed to serving children and parents with a complete offering of learning opportunities delivered within the context of Catholic teachings and within the means of the Division.

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