Liz Wager’s X and Y confusion
7 Jan, 09 | by BMJ Group
Oxford University Press has produced new materials for primary schools aimed at encouraging boys to read. I’m not qualified even to start pondering the biosocial reasons why young boys apparently read less well than girls in British schools – but I was amused by the name of this initiative. It’s called Project X ….
…which suggests the literacy gurus don’t know much about biology. As even a semi-literate geneticist might point out, whatever the handicap these boys have, it’s certainly not due to X, although it might be related to having a Y chromosome.
According to a radio interview about the OUP project, reading for pleasure is one of the best indicators of academic success – so I needn’t feel guilty when I lose myself in a silly novel. But, incidentally, does anybody have any suggestions for the male equivalent of ‘chick lit’?
Liz Wager is a freelance writer, trainer and publications consultant who works for a number of pharmaceutical companies, communication agencies, publishers and academic institutions. She is also the Secretary of COPE (the Committee On Publication Ethics) and a member of the BMJ’s Ethics Committee.
This is quite interesting finding and even more interesting is about the Project X!!! The outcome of the study seems to have really deep effect leading to the boy-friendly publication of the book supposing that it will make them smart enough to be equivalent to their counterpart girls.
It has been long time that people are talking about gender bias primarily focusing to the rights of women worldwide. Here,now, seems the seesaw being tilted other way round!!! It will be interesting debate in coming years if it is really profound!!!
Best wishes,
mati
Matiram Pun
January 8th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
I agree — the boys seem to catch up sooner or later so they often end up with the best jobs(!) … but their lack of reading skills at an earlier age is apparently well-documented — at least in the UK
Liz Wager
January 12th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
I have noticed the lack of reading skills in boys in schools at southindia.But still boys catch up with girls as they grow and succeed.The results of the public board exams of tenth and +two standards of schools at tamilnadu are documents apparently giving the above impressions.
murali
January 14th, 2009 at 4:40 pm