Recently, writer He Yafu claimed that "statistics from the Ministry of Education show that the number of undergraduate male students is about to drop to 1/3", is this really the case? Obviously, there is a huge difference between this and the actual figures on the official website of the Ministry of Education!
Although, according to the statistics of the Ministry of Education, in 2009 the absolute number of female university students had surpassed that of men, accounting for 50.48 per cent. However, the situation has improved in recent years, thanks in part to a book published in 2010, "Save the Boys", which has made the issue of the boy crisis more and more important in society. In 2008, the statistics of the top students in the national college entrance examination showed that the proportion of male students was only 39.7%, and in 2015, the number of male and female champions was 31 and 33 respectively.
On December 31, 2023, the National Bureau of Statistics released the 2022 Statistical Monitoring Report on the Programme for the Development of Chinese Women (2021-2030). In 2022, there were 29.033 million female students enrolled in higher education, an increase of 1.225 million over 2021, accounting for 50.0% of the enrolled students, with a balanced ratio of men and women. Among them, 1.871 million were female graduate students, accounting for 51.2% of all graduate students; There were 18.312 million and 5.314 million female students in general undergraduate and adult undergraduate colleges, accounting for 50.0% and 56.9% respectively.
Even if we only look at the number of undergraduate students, the proportion of male students has been rising since 2018. If, as some have claimed, only one-third of the male students are admitted, and the actual proportion of students enrolled is close to half, then the only explanation is that a large number of female students drop out of school or are unable to complete their studies, which is also consistent with the 1:1 ratio of undergraduate graduates today.
Of course, the editor still acknowledges the existence of the "boy crisis" phenomenon and supports the "Save the Boys" campaign, but such a spread of exaggerated data is useless except to belittle the boys.
Save the "Chinese boy" Experts suggest "ruthless moves"
Sun Yunxiao, author of "Save the Boys", believes that increasing the proportion of male teachers in primary and secondary schools can also save boys from the crisis. For example, in a science and technology class, he explained, the teacher asks students to design a boat. Boys are likely to design a simple boat with a barrel and a chimney, while girls will decorate the boat with elaborate decorations, galleys, bedrooms, etc. If it is a male teacher, he may prefer the boy's straightforward expression; If it is a female teacher, it is possible to appreciate the delicacy of the girl. Therefore, for the same answer, the results may be very different because of the gender differences in teachers. Boys need more encouragement in the educational system.
In fact, the mainland government has taken relevant measures to adjust the "female preference for men" teaching force. "In 2005, the Education Commission of Beijing's Dongcheng District launched the 'Masculine Plan', which will increase the proportion of male teachers in primary and secondary schools, especially primary schools, from the current 13 percent to 50 percent, through various preferential policies. ”
"In addition to adjusting the ratio of men to women in the teaching force, the solution to the 'boy crisis' can also try to change test-oriented education with 'memory characteristics'. Many schools in Shanghai have begun to close physical education classes and remove play platforms that give play to boys' instincts, which is tantamount to masking their aggressive nature and forcing them into a quiet state of study. Yang Xiong told reporters that the consequence of this practice is the birth of "good men".
"In 2004, I conducted a comparative survey of Chinese and French children. The common way of amusement chosen by Chinese boys is static toys such as game consoles and computers; French boys, on the other hand, mostly choose skateboarding, ball games, etc. From the investigation, I found that the nature of Chinese boys is being distorted. Yang Xiong said.
Fortunately, the boys' crisis has eased in the past decade, and some experts believe that the abolition of the arts and sciences and the resumption of the new college entrance examination with the national paper are important factors in the increase in the proportion of male undergraduates.