Ucas said that 580,000 people have applied for places at British institutions this year. Around 333,700 of them were women, almost 58 per cent. Only 246,300 men applied, a difference of 87,000, which was up 7,000 on last year. In the 2010-11 academic year, women made up 55 per cent of applicants.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10608739/Boys-being-left-behind-as-university-gender-gap-widens.html

Quote: Hannah G @ 31st January 2014, 2:34 PM GMT

What is slowing boys down??
I don't think either sex is more intelligent than the other and there is always a reason why one doesn't do so well.

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Not sure if applying to university means you're doing well.

Quote: zooo @ 31st January 2014, 2:51 PM GMT

Ha, yep.

Well if there is some reason in particular, maybe boys are less likely to want to get into debt for a degree now they've put the costs up? Who knows. It's hard to generalise about a whole gender!

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Yeah I suppose. Boys do mess about more in class though (at least they did when I was at school). Maybe that could be one reason?

I'm really not trying to start a fight I'm just wondering.
I want my son to have the best chances in life of course.

So that I can retire at 40 odd and live off him

Quote: Nogget @ 31st January 2014, 3:01 PM GMT

Not sure if applying to university means you're doing well.

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Well I was sort of thinking about education as a whole, as they think the reason is cos of girls having better grades.

Maybe girls are more aspirational now, because there are more female role models around.

Maybe it's the influx of TOWIE type shows. They've seen what happens if you DON'T go to uni...

Quote: zooo @ 31st January 2014, 2:51 PM GMT

Ha, yep.

Well if there is some reason in particular, maybe boys are less likely to want to get into debt for a degree now they've put the costs up? Who knows. It's hard to generalise about a whole gender!

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I think young men are more likely to go for apprenticeships then women, particularly with the trades on offer. Most of the service industry jobs are either not attractive to young men or are geared towards women.

There's also a pressure on young men to work and earn money if black lady music is anything to go by - Scrubs, Ain't Nothing Going On But The Rent, Gotta Have A J.O.B. If You Want To Be With Me, etc.

The irony with so many women going to university, is that somewhere between 40-60% don't return to work after having a baby.

So it's all a big mess.

They should do apprenticeships for writing and fun jobs. I totally would have done that.

Quote: zooo @ 31st January 2014, 6:31 PM GMT

They should do apprenticeships for writing and fun jobs. I totally would have done that.

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They do now, including art direction and advertising copywriter - however from what I understand, there are not a lot of places and competition is fierce. Similarly, all the internships for glamorous jobs have a two year waiting list full of rich kids.

Ooh, the bastards.
Internships have always been for rich kids. They're the only ones who can afford to work for free.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ 31st January 2014, 6:29 PM GMT

The irony with so many women going to university, is that somewhere between 40-60% don't return to work after having a baby.

So it's all a big mess.

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Rubbish! Education is never wasted. An educated mother will enrich her children.

Quote: keewik @ 31st January 2014, 8:49 PM GMT

Rubbish! Education is never wasted. An educated mother will enrich her children.

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True, but on the other hand, it perpetuates the sexist myth that women are only 'playing' at having a career. After living out their Sex In The City fantasies of buying expensive shoes and going to power lunches with their gal pals, they squeeze out a sprog and spend the next few years putting baby pictures on Facebook.

In the meantime, university places and job prospects for men go down the toilet and entire careers are wiped out - and all for what? Some smart Mummys?

I, of course, would never subscribe to this theory.

Not forgetting of course that at least 1 in 5 (or is it 4?) women don't choose to reproduce.
We're not all baby spewing machines.

Quote: zooo @ 31st January 2014, 10:36 PM GMT

Not forgetting of course that at least 1 in 5 (or is it 4?) women don't choose to reproduce.
We're not all baby spewing machines.

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Oh good, I shall contact the NHS and inform them to cease all IVF treatment immediately before contacting the adoption and fostering agencies.

No idea who or what you're arguing about now, I'm afraid!

Quote: zooo @ 31st January 2014, 10:39 PM GMT

No idea who or what you're arguing about now, I'm afraid!

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Your assertion that women aren't baby spewing machines, go on Facebook, it will skew your view of the world quite massively.

I know you can read.
So look at what I actually said, not what you heard in your bizarre brainbox.