When many boys are uneducated and unemployed

 

From Moaz Nair

Everyone has a right to education but in some countries, girls are deliberately being deprived of the right.

According to a Unesco report, 60% of countries have not reached gender equality in basic education and 40% will not achieve gender parity at either primary or secondary level even in another 50 years.

Gender inequality does exist in some parts of the world because of government policies and cultural inhibitions practised by some communities.

Malaysians are fortunate that equal opportunities are given to all — boys and girls — to secure the best education they wish to attain in life.

With education being liberalised, almost all boys and girls have equal opportunity to acquire and excel in it.

The education policy does not deter girls from attending school or university. We, therefore, see a gender balance at the primary and secondary levels in school. Almost equal numbers of boys and girls attend primary and secondary school.

Unfortunately, studies have shown that boys’ disaffection with school starts especially at the secondary level, and this is quite a serious matter of concern in any society.

Approximately 35% of students in public universities in Malaysia are male, while 65% are female. This trend of more female than male students in higher education has become prevalent in recent years.

The number of male students has steadily decreased since 2019 in public higher education institutions, according to statistics.

This disparity is a global trend, with more females than males in higher education in many countries, including Malaysia.

Nevertheless, significant gains in terms of gender balance can be seen in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) — in some cases the number of boys surpassing girls.

This observable fact has nothing to do with gender inequality. The imbalance is because a sizeable number of male students are distracted from education that emphasises more on academic fields the moment they reach adolescence.

It is at this age that they begin to have a greater tendency to adopt wayward behaviour in life, become academically lackadaisical, and are more influenced by their unconstructive peers.

This lack of enthusiasm, if not cogently dealt with early, would make them a liability to our society.

Parents and teachers could play an active role in instilling awareness and the discipline required of them to excel in studies right before these boys become adolescents.

With greater attentiveness on the importance of education instilled at the primary stage of their life, the gains would help retain them in their secondary and tertiary participation in fields these boys are interested in.

If “hands-on” is their preference in education, more should be done by the government to rope in these male students into the TVET programmes so that they can become employable in the job market. This could even start at an early stage of their secondary education before they drop out from school.

Above and beyond being able to acquire knowledge and skills, attitudes and values critical for negotiating their place in society strike a chord among boys. It is through education and training that they can become more empowered and self-assured in life.

Education in this country is a relatively low investment with high returns. Thus, boys need to be enlightened that their personal and social benefits are vast when they are educated.

Being educated and gainfully employed, their livelihoods can be improved with the extra means to have a hale and hearty family and this will enhance their self-esteem.

When there is quality life through education, their civic responsibility too can be higher. They will not be easily lured into becoming social delinquents.

When many young males are uneducated and unemployed, we see more social problems that could affect the fabric of our harmonious society. - FMT

Moaz Nair is an FMT reader.

The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.