Education, education, education.

There are few necessary more important things in life that a 'good education' - it will improve the mind, make life long friends, enable more choices in life and improve generally speaking the quality of life - but its not sufficient for a good life. So the A Levels results sent out to all students yesterday who are 18+ was a big day in their lives. What is interesting from all the data is to divine why when in October some 400,000 students start this rite of passage at university there will be some 60,000 less boys than girls? Why are girls doing so much better than the boys? Only a few years ago we were all wondering why - girls were not doing as well? This is a significant change in our national life and not sufficient attention is being paid to this 'structural' change in our society. The demographic change will have a major impact on the job prospects of men in latter life. It will influence and inform family life if women earn much more than men caeteris paribus. I'm not saying that women in general and educated women in particular should not be properly educated to their full ability, but we must consider the effects on our 'relationships' with each other on a longitudinal basis?
In a discussion on Newsnight last night they didn't address what I think is the most important factor namely - the role of the father in their sons education. They considered things like the major Oxford University recent report on the 'over population in education of women and the fact that not enough male role models for boys'. In my opinion the other sociological fact is the 'break down' of family life and this often means that the father more often than not goes off to - form another family thus loosening his ties with his original family. You may divorce your wife but you cannot 'divorce your children' this is not taken into account in these educational discussions.
As a couple and family therapists over many years both in the NHS and in private practice - this was the most important issue that I had to address. I'm often dismayed that they don't think this is an area that should be considered? When in the NHS I would go into a very large comprehensive school in St John's Wood each week and have a 'consultation discussion about family issues' that teachers were concerned about. It was often about the fact of  kids failing in their education - not because they were not intelligent - but because they were often confused, depressed and angry. We still have much to do in education.