The Forgotten Boys: How School Systems Are Failing Our Future Men

A silent crisis is affecting the educational system, one that disproportionately impacts boys and ultimately shapes the men they become. We, as families, educators and community members, have to address the systemic problems that are negatively impacting our sons, brothers, cousins, uncles, fathers, grandfathers, and husbands.

The Current Educational Landscape

Today’s school schedules are characterized by a sedentary and test-oriented approach which ignores the physical and practical nature of boys. Traditional shop classes have been mostly phased out in favor of programs such as Project Lead The Way (PLTW). Although PLTW provides valuable STEM skills, the decrease in vocational training prevents students who are inclined to trades from getting exposure to these fields. From the 1990s to the 2010s, most “shop classes” were eliminated from middle and high schools across the U.S., which contributed to the current skilled labor shortage (Modern Machine Shop, 2023).

Consequences of the Current System

Decline in Exercise: According to the Institute of Medicine (2013), most school administrators eliminated a lot of time from physical education and recess in order to increase academic instruction following the No Child Left Behind Act.

Vocational Training Reduction: The increase in college preparatory curriculum has led to a decrease in vocational training. Students in the present day enroll in fewer manual arts or Career Technical Education (CTE) shop class credits (District Administration, 2023).

Broader Societal Impacts

Male Unemployment Rates: The unemployment rate for men in the United States was 4.1% in 2024, higher than that of women and indicating a long-term decline in male employment (Statista, 2024).

Military Recruitment Challenges: The U.S. Army failed to meet its recruitment targets by 25% in both 2022 and 2023 before meeting the targets in 2024 by lowering standards (The New Yorker, 2025).

Male Suicide Rates: Males account for approximately 80% of all suicides in the United States. In 2022, the rate of suicide among men was roughly four times higher than that of women (CDC, 2023).

Call to Action

This is not just an education issue—it’s a societal one. We need action:

Restore Balance in Education: Combine college prep with vocational training. Students should have the same opportunity to learn skills-based, hands-on subjects along with modern technological programs.

Prioritize Movement and Purpose: Boys need physical activity and meaningful challenges. We should re-introduce physical education, recess, and hands on learning.

Protect Mental Health: The increasing number of male suicides requires that schools set up support systems that will cater to the emotional needs of boys.

In order to grow capable, mentally healthy and purposeful men we must change the environments in which they grow. The time to act is now.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Suicide Data and Statistics. https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/data.html

District Administration. (2023). High school shop class is back—and it’s showing students alternatives to traditional college. https://districtadministration.com/high-school-shop-class-is-back-and-its-showing-students-alternatives-to-traditional-college

Institute of Medicine. (2013). Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School. National Academies Press. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK201493

Modern Machine Shop. (2023). The Resurgence of Shop Class in American Classrooms. https://www.mmsonline.com/articles/the-resurgence-of-shop-class-in-american-classrooms

Statista. (2024). Unemployment rate of men in the United States from 1990 to 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/193285/unemployment-rate-of-men-in-the-us-since-1990

The New Yorker. (2025). The U.S. Military’s Recruiting Crisis. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/02/10/the-us-militarys-recruiting-crisis