SO WHY DO GIRLS GET BETTER RESULTS?
The exams are all over and the last questions have been asked.
Just wait a few months to see if you've passed.
Now it's the last weeks of August and you and your mates.
Have met by the notice-board to discover your fates.
Some faces are frowning. They've not made the grade.
And their smiles like their hopes have started to fade.
But others are smiling and they're covered in blushes.
Laughing and boasting about their shiny A-pluses.
If you close your eyes you can tell by the noise.
The G.C.S.E. winners are more girls than boys.
Girls high pitched voices shrieking down mobile phones.
Whilst the glummer voices are the boys baritones.
The girls scored much better. Well how can that be.
According to law there should be sex equal-it-ee.
Pundits are arguing. They're on every T.V.
With many a reason for this dispar-it-ee.
Are girls more aware and do they plan for success?
Are boys more frivolous. partying to excess?
There's so many opinions it's really quite funny.
The experts'll keep differing whilst folks pay them money.
But the reason's quite plain to most teachers like me.
Girls really ARE brighter. that's my opinion and it's free.
Author notes
By now thousands of British school children will have finished the GCSE, GCE, RSA, GNVQ and other such examinations and will be starting on the 6 weeks of torment waiting for their results.
Written July 13th, 2000
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1 - 29 of 29
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Thanks for your usual thoughtful response.
I understand about visual and Kinetic teaching and learning and the gender bias invoved in both aspects but this was a lighthearted response to my own observations over (at the time of writing) 30 years of teaching.
I appreciate it is a sweeping generalisation as written and cannot hope to address all the facts but it is a fun piece to recite, especially in mid-august, and nothing more than that.
Jim -
Dear ILR, I have to say that although I'd really LIKE to agree with you - I just think that girls and boys are good at different things. Our schools are so geared up to academia, but there are so many different types of intelligence, and we need them all. It has been shown that for some reason, fidgeting helps boys to take in facts in fact they perform as well as girls in tests taken after being taught in ways which allow them to learn with movement, or even tapping their pencil. Of course this would drive girls and the teacher in a class to distraction. But it does suggest that perhaps it's our taching methods that are at fault rather than the boys themselves. Also I think that boys mature so much more slowly than girls, at least many of them do (my son had reading age of 14 at 8 but did not learn to read till he was 5 - my daughter could read age 2 but was not any further on at age 8). Anyway I loved the poem, because as things stand it is true! Fun
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Thanks for taking a look at this one. I may have to change it in a couple of weeks when the results come out. However for now it's true.
Jim S -
awww.lol. THanx for calling us brighter
. U had me smiling with this one. great write 
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I laughed out loud (really) at that one doug.
Jim S -
Well, my experience is that they are just smarter too. I have come to accept it and have moved on. It simplifies my life in that whenever my wife tells me something, I say "Yes dear." lol...
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Thanks for taking the time to read and comment on this poem and i am glad you liked it.
It is encouraging to know that people do look at ones work. Like it or loathe it I'm glad folk read it.
As for the rhymes that's part of me.
I was taught from an early age that poetry is a medium with rhyme, rhythm and verse. I know that is anathema to some but that's the way it is for me. I do vary it occasionally (Try my verse What is Poetry today?) but I consider my best stuff rhymes in verses. (The rhythm is in my head.)
To misquote Oliver Cromwell you must take me rhymes and all!
Jim S -
Fun and funny
The subject is interesting and the poem stays close to the story line. The ending is wonderful. When one of my daughters would question my favoritism toward the other, I would respond, "It's because I love her best." This answer would seem so implausible that the argument would be immediately dropped. I do wish that you were not so tied to the rhyme stuff. Some of these words seem awkward and forced. But you don't mess around and you get the job done. I'll bet that is the way your classroom goes. -
Very likely they will be. It's a little hard to align curriculum with personality! It should be to hell with equal and effective instead. 
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What is politically correct anyway? Our National Anthem says
Confound their politics, Frustrate their knavish tricks,
As a former elected councillor (and son of one too) I think politician is once again a term of abuse as it was when the anthem was written. Politically correct should be what is deemed correct by all not just a vocal (or elected) minority.
Now I'm finished ranting.
Thanks for your comment and applause. I am confident (unfortunately) that this year's results will bear me out again.
Jim S
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As much as Iknow it is politically incorrect.. I have to agree with you and not just because I'm female It's the way males and females learn I think. School is more a female thing. A social place to titter and gab and gather information (gossip?) Boys on the other hand seem to learn better by DOING things. They understand it when they see it and get their hands on it!
Anyway... a good write, very funny really since the more the "experts" change the way things are taught the MORE they are favoring girls. The more learning comes to revolve around texts and written language... the more it will always favor girls.
Best wishes and
S... ~genielassie~
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Thanks TT. I'm glad you liked it.
Jim S -
Wow thanks Stell. I'm glad you liked it and wrote to me. I wrote this 5 years back and the first 4 years results agreed with me. I think it will be the same again this year but the results are not out yet.
Jim
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Thanks for reading and writing Michelle.
We are talking of the whole of the UK here not just the odd school. The figures I based this on are percentages of girls who take and pass against percentage of boys who take and pass. Like with like!
It seems a fact that differnt sexes do well at different things and all the so-called experts fight about why it should be equal and how to make it equal.
Treat everybody the same but accept the results may be different is how I think. I am sure nature has her own plan and who am I to fight her. (Sorry but Nature is traditionally female)
Jim S -
Thanks Broken Memory or may I call you BM. I think all I can say is "vive la difference"
Jim S -
Thanks Molly. Glad you liked it.
Jim S -
Hi Redeemer,
Glad you liked it.
I hope both lads and lasses gain success and hope they realise it is up to them how well they do.
Jim S -
Hi Alecia. Your thoughts echo mine
Are girls more aware and do they plan for success?
Are boys more frivolous. partying to excess?
Thanks for reading and writing.
Jim S
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Glad you liked it Suseann. Just for fun look at the maths results in mid-August. I bet I'm right again! I wish all my pupils the best of luck but I know from observation that the girls tend to rely on luck less than the boys.
Jim S -
I am sorry but there is absolutely no connection intended between the message of our two poems.
I was not jumping on any bandwagon but merely commenting on an observed phenomenon. Lately we (teachers) have been under pressure to treat boys/girls in different ways to get equivalent results because of the disparity of achievement in different subjects. I believe (I hope) I teach all my pupils in the same way regardless of creed, colour, sex or parentage. My poem was first a bit if humour and second an attack on the so called experts.
Your senryu maybe, but your poem was definitely sending a more sexual message than mine was ever intended to.
Jim S -
AWSOME
HEHEHE
this one made me laugh some. i thought it was interesting how you rymed things. i would have never thought of some of the things you did. a very good Write.
Edited on Jul 13, 10:38 p.m. because ''. -
you have really mastered the rhyme here not something so easy to do. I totally love this piece it is very humourous and just great to read it is very clever and and a very well balanced form An excellent effort and a very successful poem. All the best. Stella.
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Now this was great!! I loved every word! Your rhyming dances off the tongue. It's high spirited and just plain funny. I would have to ask though, in all fairness to the boys. What was the ratio of boys to girls taking the test? I would imagine, that you are a really wonderful teacher. You are so in tune with the younger generation. And that, can make all the difference in the world.
~Michelle~
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haha, I really like it. but girls do have a different way of thinking in my opinion.
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I personally think the reason that girls score higher on exams, is because of the boys thinking of different things...such as partying, sex, etc...Girls also pay more attention than the guys if they're around a group of buddies cuz they like to goof around and act all cool in class...I liked this piece you've written here...It gave me something to think about..Thanks for sharing...
Alecia -
Excellent rhyme and wonderful poem. I really liked it and thought it was written excellent. It flowed nicely and was top notch!!! great work and thanks for sharing it.
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You have done it again my friend.You have produced an excellent
piece of work here.Me being from the Caribbean now your story
oh to well about GCE and girls out performing the boys.But maybe in the near future there will be a turn around lol....maybe.Keep up the good work I look forward to the next piece.
Edited on Jul 13, 6:40 p.m. because ''. -
Sure,easy for a teacher to not sweat letter grade time.Just kidding of course.Good smooth even metered rhyme.And cute subject matter in this write.I would have to allow an A at the least on this.HA ! No kidding now! Nice write!~~Suseann
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This is very funny and really true. You echo (to an extent) the point I was trying to get at with my poems "Haiku/Senryu:Stimulus For Attraction" and "The Feminist Womanifesto." Please feel free to read them as well as any/all poetry I have posted on this site under the domain name K-Dense-Curtis Meyer
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