A recently completed study has knocked a hole in the theory that most people have generally accepted as a given – that boys are always better at maths than girls, particularly at the higher levels, and that there was a biological reason for this. Not so, Janet Hyde and Janet Mertz of the University of Wisconsin have found.
They conducted a statistical analysis comparing various maths scores and contests with the World Economic Forum’s 2007 Gender Gap Index. This annual report ranks countries according to employment and economic opportunities, education and political opportunities and medical status.
The analysis, which compared the maths aptitude of girls in countries where gender equity is high as opposed to where it is almost non-existent, found that, “Countries with greater gender equity are also the ones where the ratio of girls to boys doing well in math is close to equal.“ The parity at all levels in the male-female ratio of mathematical excellence in these countries, proves that the disparity which exists elsewhere is obviously not the result of ability, aptitude or biology, but must be attributed to lack of equal opportunity.
Of course in a general sense the evidence for this always existed. Applied the other way around, theoretically women and girls are supposed to be better homemakers and better cooks, and are expected to excel at things to which society has given a feminine slant. How then do we account for the fact that men and boys can and do excel at these disciplines too? The evidence is already there. Some of the world’s greatest chefs, clothing designers and cosmetologists are male. That aside, mothers will be the first to admit that in homes where gender equity exists, boys do just as well or better than girls at any or all of the traditional ‘feminine’ tasks.
That is not to say that nature and or a person’s genes do not have a role in the whole scheme of things. Of course people are born with their own special talents. Genius, which is evident all around us, is often the result of that innate talent being nurtured and given the opportunity to be. But this is not always the case as it must be noted that a gifted musician can have genius children or they can be tone deaf.
On the flip side, just as aptitude is nurtured, so too is aggression. Many parents – some deliberately, some unwittingly – cultivate violent behaviour in their children. Because children mirror their parents/guardians/role models, they absorb mostly what they observe rather than what they are told. This is one of the reasons why teachers have been urging parents to move away from the ‘do as I say and not as I do’ mode. It does not really work.
It is clear that if this country is to move away from the edge of the chasm of anarchy, there are several other avenues that can be explored. Gender equality, modelling positive behaviour and nurturing excellence are definitely among them as they contribute to a well-ordered society.
