Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1901-03-21
The Girls and Iduestisu.

ly told Of many boys leaving school
but Of few girls doing it.
The same condition exists else
where and it is one Of the problems
OF today. The Lawrence Journal
tells Of Lawrence's and the State Uni
versity experience thus:
In the Lawrence high school there
are 318 girl students, and but PA
boys. Where are the boys, and why
are they not in the high school? The
present senior class started with ia
girls and rs boys. There will be in
the class Al girl graduates and q
boys. Oithose who started, So per
cent Of the girls remained, while but
27 per cent Of the boys are left in the
class. Why have not the boys
"stuck" as well as the girls'
The State University will show a
ratio in favor OF the girl students al.
most as alarming as this. The fig.
CURES are not at hand to make a care
full and accurate comparison, but one
fact that may be mentioned will show
that while the proportion is not so
great as in the high school, yet,
that the girl students have better
better averages than the boys. When
the honor roll for the Phi Beta Kappa
was made up short time ago, there
appeared In it the names Of lS girl
students, and but six boys.
What is the matter with the boys
in the State University
Another peculiar thing is that the
girls in the graduating classes in both
these schools outnumber the boys al
most two to one. Where are our
boys, and why are they not securing
educations equal to those their sisters
are acquiringP That the young men
are not keeping pace in educational
matters with the young women Is
plainly evident to any ono who will
take the trouble to investigate. The
time is not far in the past when the
young woman who passed above her
brothers in the class room was the
exception, and she who secured class
honors was looked upon as exception.
lilly brilliant, What has brought the
changeP
Has the strenuous life OF the closing
years Of the nineteenth century driv.
en- the young men from the paths Of
learning, and into the channels Of
labor business and the professions
before they secured the education
that was once deemed a prerequisite
to a successful lifep
In the stores and in the offices and
in the factories the girls have taken
the places Of the young men, and
where ten years ago one woman was
found doing business there are now
six. Where have the young men
gomez Do the women do the work
better, that they have taken the
places formerly occupied by their
brothersP Who can answer these
serious questionsP
And, what is still more serious,
who can tell where this condition Of
affairs will lead us TOP Are the women
OF the future to furnish the brains OF
the world while the men content
themselves with furnishing the
brawn9 The revolution has been as
swift and unnoticed as it has been
startling. How much further will it
60? How much further can it 60
without serious results9 Are the
future mothers of the race to furnish
the education and refinement to the
children while the fathers contribute
only the brute strength and the cum
ming Of the successful fighter in LIES
battles?
And finally, do not the parents Of
all children owe it to the children
themselves as well as to future gen.
erations to see to it that their boys as
well as their girls are given an edu-
cation as thorough as their means
will permit That is not being done
now The girls are receiving the en-.
enlargement and are being pushed
forward while the Toys are permitted
to lag and fall out by the wayside.
The present condition Of affairs is
dangerous alike to the individual and
to society. Who can tell what will
be the result II, in the next twenty
years, the girls progress and the boys
fall behind as they have in the past
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