SENATE BILL: 2011 Education Act (Law'd)

[Antonio the Sixth]

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What.... The.... Fyck ?

[Antonio the Sixth]

There are some advantages to same-sex education. Girls tend to excel more in math and science with it.  Maybe there would be some advantage in reading for boys in classes tailored more to them but I don't know if this has been demonstrated. I tend to think literature and social studies/history benefits from having points of view discussed from both genders.  It's tricky but maybe a pilot program would not be a bad idea to see if it provides any results schools would want to adopt, but I am very much against the idea that the government would consider adopting as standard one way or another.

Girls and boys are born with the exact same brain, and there is nothing in biological differences that affects one's predisposition to one discipline or another. Maybe there are differences in education or social incitations, but making separate classes would only accentuate the problem.

This is discrimination. This is like saying black people are better at sports and worse at intellectual works (that might be factually true, simply because 1. blacks are poorer and can study less ; 2. the society's stereotypes orient blacks toward less intellectual jobs. Anyways there's nothing natural in these differences). It offends my deepest values as a humanist and a universalist. It should offend the values of you all.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Boys and girls are not born with the same brains.  It is absolutely ridiculous to pretend that they are.

sigh...

Whether or not the "learning differences" are scientifically documented, deducing that these differences are a direct consequence of gender is silly. Instead of trying to fight agains the social processes that encourage different attitudes between boys and girls, you prefer to officialize this discrimination in the law ?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Of course there might be some differences in brains. Does that mean girls and boys think differently ? For this program to be legitimate, you need to provide the irrefutable proof that the differences in learning between boys and girls have a biological origin.

I know I have a very principled (call it hackish) position there, but for my entire life I've learnt to instinctively reject any argument based on the idea of "natural differences" between human beings.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Do you really think a pilot program can help us discover natural differences in processes of thought between boys and girls ? I personally don't see how they could : what they can instead is favoring different methods of teaching/learning based on gender stereotypes. Teacher will adopt a different behaviour based on sex of their students (they probably already do, but this can only reinforce differentiation), students will be incited to act in a way conform to their gender, etc...

[Antonio the Sixth]

And yet, what about this program actually encouraging discriminations ? You can't dismiss this possibility.

And what is "academic achievement" for you ? Yeah, maybe with this system students will get better marks (since they will be taught things they are more "conform to their nature"), and then ?

We just can't have a men's education and a women's education, that's all. School is the place where equality should be the most sacrosanct.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Antonio, you sound like the little kid with fingers in his years afraid to hear something he already knows is true.
If you really believe school is the place where equality should be most sacrosanct, you'll want to try out programs that could potentially eliminate the gender gap.

OK...

So you guys want to reduce the gender gap through segregation ? Sorry, but no matter the "evidence" you can present me to show the marvels of division by sex, it will never make it legitimate. That's not denial, just a matter of principles.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Do you really think separating groups is a solution to solve an inequality ? This is a mistake that has often been made, with dramatic consequences. Just like those who thought imposing racial quotas to universities would have solved the problem of racial inequalities... I staunchly oppose any form of "positive discrimination", and I believe I have some reasons to.

And also, you can always make a big deal of boys underperforming girls at school (of course I also wish to fix this problem), but considering that, despite this, women still end up having lower jobs than men and get paid less for the same job, maybe this isn't exactly the most important problem of gender inequalities.

[Antonio the Sixth]

This bill has to do with education.  Right now, we are failing boys.  Girls excel in the current setup because they are more patient and diligent in getting things done on their own.  And it's precisely because they are girls that that is the case.  Does it mean I think one sex is better than the other?  No.

And for you, this is enough to deduce a natural difference. This is the problem.

Girls tend (and this word is important) to be more partient and diligent in getting things done on their own. This might be due to a difference in their brain, or simply to the fact that they receive a different education from the society. Boys are taught to "affirm themselves", to show the "have balls", to get what they want. Girls, instead, are taught to be modest, to do their best to please other people, to be patient, etc. That's just the projection of our social stereotypes on school.

And instead of trying to fight those stereotypes, you instead try to adapt school to them. You officialize them. You "naturalize" them. This is a colossal regression, a vision every progressive (every liberal in the true sense of the word) must fight against in order to reach a society where every person is born equal. I'm fed up of all these "pragmatists", who constantly appeal to "common sense" and are unable to see the social (moral) consequences of their actions.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I would offer an Amendment striking section 2 from the bill, but since it would certainly fail I don't see the need to lengthen the procedure fro no reason. This is just to let you know that, despite my respect for the purpose of this bill and the intentions of its drafter, I can't support it in its current form.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Nay

[Antonio the Sixth]

Depressing.