Twenty-plus years after Title IX, boys' sports continue to be funded at a far higher rate than girls' sports. For those students not going on to college, vocational programs underscore the economic disparities looming just over the horizon. While technical career paths, like electronics and auto mechanics, are overwhelmingly male, girls continue to dominate programs such as cosmetology, clerical, and home economics, career paths with less promising futures. In fact, without federal support, girls attending school in less progressive states and districts may very well lose ground in the years ahead. All this is not to say that boys are doing just fine.
Sexism is a two-edged sword, and boys also pay a price.
The male stereotype includes greater risk-taking behavior, a higher suicide rate, and a greater involvement in criminal activities. In school, boys are more likely to be in special education programs, and they have a slightly higher dropout rate. The need to overcome society's sex-role stereotypes is as important to boys who dream of becoming an elementary teacher or a nurse as it is to girls who dream of a career in electrical engineering. While girls lag behind on most critical standardized tests, boys continue to receive lower report card grades. These are all important issues which have not been forgotten.