[MUSIC] We are still on "The Lives of Children". In the learning situation, we started off looking at the learner.

We've also looked at the learner's identity. Now, we want to look at the difference between boys and girls as learners. And here I want to use a case study from the Caribbean. In the previous lessons I've been talking about Africa in using examples and so today we want to look at a case from the Caribbean. In the Caribbean, research indicates that boys are at risk. They are at risk in terms of employment, a number of them do not have employment; disengagement; violent crimes; and bad fathers, fathers who do not give them good role models. They are at risk in terms of behaviour: their poor attitudes; low interest level for boys; lack of motivation to remain in school; learned helplessness; and disengagement. There are lower levels of academic achievement for boys compared to girls. There are lower retention through secondary and tertiary education. And, there's also an absence of male role models; there is male marginalisation; and therefore leaves to retreating to physicality. Challenges for girls are specific. And these can be seen in terms of early marriages and pregnancies, and this may not be particular to the Caribbean. In African societies we have cases of early marriages and pregnancies. Arranged marriages; the harassment and exploitation of girls; and of course, the impact of HIV/AIDS. We also have parent expectations of girls compared to boys, and parents' low levels of educational attainment - all of which pose challenges to girls' education. Because of this context, that's undervaluing education for girls. The violence and threat of violence coming from teachers, from parents,

and from male community members that do not encourage girls to be retained in school. Journeying from their residence to school, the distance - often long - they become vulnerable to people who could attack them at any time. There's also lack of privacy and safety of toilets because in some context, boys and girls have to use the same toilets and bathroom facilities and sleeping arrangements. These create a challenge for girls in terms of the education, and contributes to high drop out rates. "Womens' and girls' acute vulnerability in disasters is due to a host of gendered factors, including cultural or religious restrictions on female mobility, as well as differences in the socialisation of girls which means they may not be equipped with the same survival skills as their brothers." For instance, in some societies in Ghana, when boys and girls return from school, boys go straight to play and to exercise for physical development. But girls have to go to the kitchen to prepare food for the boys to eat. And yet, both of them will have to go to school the next day to prepare for the same test. In Bangladesh, it is said women did not leave their houses during floods, because it was regarded as culturally inappropriate and that those who did were unable to swim. So women, and for that manner, girls, girl learners are vulnerable when it comes to learning environments. In role-modeling, it is the women the women sacrifice for the benefit of the child. When there is a parent-teacher association meeting, for instance, it is the woman who sacrifices time to attend such meetings. Now, look critically at this slide, and see what you can make out of this case from an Ethiopian context. We realise that house chores, particularly relating to fetching water could also put children, the girls, at risk, in terms of safety. In the classroom, what type of interaction should we have? Do teachers interact more with boys than girls? As a teacher, do you use similar language and

terminology for both genders? You need to think about those. In the classroom, teachers have some stereotypes that evolved in the nature of boys and girls. Some teachers believe that boys are noisy and girls quiet, that boys are active, girls are passive. Others believe that boys are competitive and girls collaborative. While others think that boys are assertive while girls are compliant. There are those who also think that girls are gentle and boys are strong. As teachers, do you have to go around these stereotypes? What do you think can be done to ensure that girls see the school environment, a classroom environment, the same as boys will see it? A study, from Antigua and Kenya primary and secondary schools, for instance found that girls can find boys a serious source of disruption. One girl in Antiguan primary school had this to say, "Like the boys mostly, they like, interrupt the class. They would disrespect the teacher very terribly." You don't need disruption in the teaching-learning process, do you? What can you do, as a teacher, to ensure that disruption is not ruining the classroom? To encourage girls to study in a friendly environment? In the classroom, who gets the attention? Normally it is boys who get more negative attention and are more likely to be disciplined. A Kenyan boy had this to say, "I hate it when the teachers beat us mercilessly. When I go home my parents encourage me to study hard, but when I come to school I'm beaten for any small mistake". Does this saying of the scared boy mean anything to you as a teacher? What type of environment do you have to create in a classroom to ensure that both boys and girls study? An enabling environment. Think seriously about this and discuss with your colleagues. Things that you need to do as a teacher to ensure that these differences between boys and girls are bridged to promote a good learning environment.

Thank you. [MUSIC]