WHERE THE BOYS AREN'T? George Leef suggests feminized schools alienate boys.

The ratio of men to women in college is not a problem in and of itself. The fact that fewer men are choosing college is largely explained by the fact that the labor market has more attractive jobs for young men without college degrees than for young women. A young man can earn rather good money doing construction work, auto mechanics, carpentry, truck driving and similar jobs that don't demand academic credentials.

For young women, there are fewer attractive options that don't call for any formal education after high school. Many women choose to continue with formal education instead of the vocational training that more men might choose.

What, no possibility of female auto technicians or throttle jockeys? But I digress. I think Mr Leef is challenging vulgar feminist pedagogies.

Under this approach, schools are replacing reading material that might appeal more to boys (for example, stories with adventure and conflict) with stories having "better" messages. They're also trying to reduce or eliminate competition.

The result is that school becomes less interesting for boys. Of course, many do well anyway, but this approach causes some to lose interest at an early age. Far more boys than girls get bored and drop out, in part because of the feminization of schooling.

So the dominance of women on campus may be alerting us to a real problem -- the fact that early education is turning many boys off, keeping them from making the most of opportunities to develop their minds.

I'm not persuaded. In my view, the greater problem is the failure of the common schools to properly prepare youngsters to develop their minds. The fads of the Colleges of Deaducation dull the female and the male mind alike.