Lost boys

[Skeptisk]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar...

https://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/wp-conte...

What stands out is the education levels for working class white British men. Just 14% that are eligible for free school meals (their measure of poverty) go onto HE compared to 68% of Chinese in a similar situation.

All fuelling support for far right and populist politicians.

I am not sure anything is being done to address this.

[ChevronB19]

Also an interesting article on related issues from yesterday in the Guardian, see link.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/mar/08/n...

[Oilchange]

Far right?

clickbait nonsense.

[ChevronB19]

Oilchange said:

Far right?

clickbait nonsense.

Maybe try reading both Skeptisk’s link and mine, then come back with your opinion?

Both articles seem pretty level headed and balanced to me. I’m clearly biased as I am left wing, but both articles, the latter in particular, are investigative/exploratory rather than condemnatory.

[ChevronB19]

Oilchange said:

Far right?

clickbait nonsense.

‘ But young men are no less deserving of a specific policy and cultural focus than young women; and to deny them this is to the detriment of everyone’

Nonsense?

[untakenname]

Shows how DEI doesn't help those who are most in need of it, an overhaul is needed.

[Oilchange]

Right of centre maybe. Far right, total crap.

[ChevronB19]

Oilchange said:

Right of centre maybe. Far right, total crap.

You’re a total speed reader if you have managed to read all those articles since linked and actually digested what they say. They propose support to young men and aren’t labelling them, and the first one simply points out a potential, not a reality.

[ChocolateFrog]

Skeptisk said:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar...

https://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/wp-conte...

What stands out is the education levels for working class white British men. Just 14% that are eligible for free school meals (their measure of poverty) go onto HE compared to 68% of Chinese in a similar situation.

All fuelling support for far right and populist politicians.

I am not sure anything is being done to address this.

And then when they become adults they're discriminated against because they're not a woman or a minority.

[Rufus Stone]

Straight white men are an underclass these days.

[Hoofy]

So they need an "asian dad"?





On a serious note, how many of these lost boys don't have a father figure in the house to beat them with a shoe when they don't get an A in maths (JOKE)? Maybe the absent father or lazy father is the issue.

Speaking of lazy, I'm not reading that 70 page doc.

[untakenname]

The picture on page 28 sums it up


A relative has just gone to a decent uni and there's only one british white male in their course of 50+ students which is quite eye opening when compared with when I went which was only two decades ago.

[Skeptisk]

Oilchange said:

Far right?

clickbait nonsense.

This knee jerk response is quite telling

[Skeptisk]

Hoofy said:

So they need an "asian dad"?





On a serious note, how many of these lost boys don't have a father figure in the house to beat them with a shoe when they don't get an A in maths (JOKE)? Maybe the absent father or lazy father is the issue.

Speaking of lazy, I'm not reading that 70 page doc.

Based on my experience of growing up white working class, it isn’t absent parents so much as uneducated parents who didn’t go to university, don’t value education and so aren’t pushing their children to do so.

[swisstoni]

Skeptisk said:

Based on my experience of growing up white working class, it isn’t absent parents so much as uneducated parents who didn’t go to university, don’t value education and so aren’t pushing their children to do so.

Doesn’t explain the disparity between the sexes.

[captain_cynic]

ChevronB19 said:

Oilchange said:

Far right?

clickbait nonsense.

‘ But young men are no less deserving of a specific policy and cultural focus than young women; and to deny them this is to the detriment of everyone’

Nonsense?

It's much easier to ignore reality and pretend the far right doesn't exist.

The Guardians headline is a bit clickbaity, but it's nowhere near as bad as other papers. The article is better though.

[Sticks.]

swisstoni said:

Skeptisk said:

Based on my experience of growing up white working class, it isn’t absent parents so much as uneducated parents who didn’t go to university, don’t value education and so aren’t pushing their children to do so.

Doesn’t explain the disparity between the sexes.

I worked in this area years ago. What's disappointing is that it still a problem, probably worse.

Then, 95% of early years educators were women, there were a lot of single parent families, almost all headed by women, so boys had no male role models. Education became something girls do. Not the whole picture, but.

Re the politics, I suspect there's a widely held view that the main parties aren't interested in the working class, or just don't get it (parts of the civil service too). That leaves a void which some will fill with promises.

[Hoofy]

Skeptisk said:

Hoofy said:

So they need an "asian dad"?





On a serious note, how many of these lost boys don't have a father figure in the house to beat them with a shoe when they don't get an A in maths (JOKE)? Maybe the absent father or lazy father is the issue.

Speaking of lazy, I'm not reading that 70 page doc.

Based on my experience of growing up white working class, it isn’t absent parents so much as uneducated parents who didn’t go to university, don’t value education and so aren’t pushing their children to do so.

A genuine thanks for the insight for that.

I guess the thing to note is that note all "asian dads" went to uni (mine didn't) but they do value education so will beat... I mean push them to get a good education. Maybe that is the difference. Mind you if I had a kid who didn't want to go to uni, then I'd push them to get a trade eg heating or plumbing.

[GliderRider]

Adding to the lack of father figure issue; thanks to the child protection regulations these days, many of the clubs and societies which might appeal to less sporty boys, would not accept them unless accompanied by a parent or guardian on all visits.
In the evenings and at weekends, the boy's mother or father may either be disinterested, working overtime to make ends meet, or taking siblings to their own activities. Separated parents may also live in different areas, so continuity at any out of school activity is an issue as difficult if they can only attend half the time.

What you may ask has this got to do with anything? Simple. Demonstating an active interest in an activity such as r/c model building/flying or model engineering is going to oil the wheels to get on that aero eng or mech eng course.

[swisstoni]

GliderRider said:

Adding to the lack of father figure issue; thanks to the child protection regulations these days, many of the clubs and societies which might appeal to less sporty boys, would not accept them unless accompanied by a parent or guardian on all visits.
In the evenings and at weekends, the boy's mother or father may either be disinterested, working overtime to make ends meet, or taking siblings to their own activities. Separated parents may also live in different areas, so continuity at any out of school activity is an issue as difficult if they can only attend half the time.

What you may ask has this got to do with anything? Simple. Demonstating an active interest in an activity such as r/c model building/flying or model engineering is going to oil the wheels to get on that aero eng or mech eng course.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. These regulations are probably drawn up by people from ‘nice’ middle class homes with both parents available.
It would not be rocket science to perhaps allow clubs and societies have some kind of ‘see something, say something’ facility that would obviate the need for a chaperone.