target: schools (boys/girls)

Linda Purrington (lpurring@earthlink.net)
Tue, 31 Mar 1998 14:26:36 -0800


So where do we begin to create the even-handed education that would
raise our daughter's chances in life and improve boys' chances of living
nonviolently? If they both did an equal amount of domestic chores and
child care, would this give both sexes a better chance?
And the question of who can best effect these changes? Teachers often
answer "parents"; but in fact there is a relatively unified institution
called education, subject to unifying standardized national laws; no
such institution exists for parents of students. The PTA, which might
once have helped function in this way, has been rather deliberately
destroyed by the development of parallel site councils, in the rush to
return power to the states after desegregation, under the label
"decentralization." The teachers' unions have a conflict of interest
with students, as well as with parents.
Thus the best place to focus social pressure for change is the school
system--the individual schools/districts/colleges and the national
legislation and enforcement bodies--and the community around the
schools. Title IX is the rather clumsy law that is the best focus
enforcement efforts.
In the community, raising wages for babysitters would be a great way to
help equalize exposure to childcare for teens, and would show girls that
the education and care of children is valued in our society. Childcare
could become a required course. How about some graduate students picking
up this thread as a dissertation?
Linda Purrington, Title IX Advocates <lpurring@earthlink.net>

marie De Santis wrote:
> It's a fact: Men commit 90% of all homicides, 98% of all rapes, in fact, they
commit 90% of all felony crimes.
> Is that male bashing? Or is it exposing a reality that must be
> considered in order to develop a remedy that adequately targets the
> problem? "marie De Santis" <rdvjustice@hotmail.com>

> >andrea marcus wrote:
> >>
> >> Pointing out that things are more difficult for girls does not
> provide proof
> >> that boys have an easy time of it either.
> >>
> >> Both boys and girls in this culture could use a little support and
> >> acceptance of who they are. Bashing one has never benefitted the
> other.
> >>


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