Is There a Crisis of Boys?
There has been a lot of media coverage recently about the crisis of boys and men. Recent articles in the Washington Post and the New York Times highlight some of these issues, as does the timely book by scholar Richard Reeves entitled Of Boys and Men. The data is overwhelming. Boys are lagging in education with high school GPAs and university degrees trailing those of girls. Many boys are suffering from fewer close friendships, disconnection, and loneliness and statistics show they die by suicide at higher rates than girls. Men are falling behind in the labour market with the number of working men and, with the exception of top-tier earners, their wages are stagnating. These alarming trends are, sadly, just the tip of the iceberg.
While there is no easy answer to these societal issues, experts agree on certain things. Boys mature and learn differently than girls. Boys crave relevance and agency. Boys need trusted mentors, relational teachers, and a social network for personal support and belonging.
Crescent’s unique mission — Men of Character from Boys of Promise — has always been important, however, today the need for a focused approach to boys’ education has never been greater. We are proudly and intentionally a school that understands and celebrates boys. Our faculty excels in active, experiential, and relational teaching — ways that boys learn best. Our classrooms are learning environments where boys can create something original, demonstrate their learning with others, and receive real-time feedback. Crescent boys have innumerable opportunities to co-create school culture through their leadership.
The Crescent experience plays a profound role in shaping the potential of boys. The twelve character traits that comprise our portrait of a graduate offer a positive view of masculinity and are the qualities we believe our students need to thrive in our increasingly complex world. Crescent teachers, mentors, and coaches support our students’ physical, social, and emotional well-being and development. By making every Crescent boy feel known and cared for, we provide a safe space for boys to be vulnerable and relate to others with integrity and compassion.
The Crescent Centre for Boys’ Education (CCBE) was established to further support our commitment to boys’ education. The CCBE helps conduct and share emerging research on leading practices in boys’ education in partnership with like-minded local, national, and global organizations. It facilitates faculty and student-led action research that hones our teaching practice and improves school culture. The CCBE designs professional learning programs and parent education, all in service to what’s best for our boys — and all boys within our local and global influence.
After graduation, the connections between alumni remain strong and are nurtured by social events, reunions, mentoring, internship programs and networking experiences. Lasting friendships and bonds are an inherent part of the Crescent School experience, as witnessed by our engaged alumni community.
It is important to emphasize that addressing the challenges facing boys and men doesn’t mean that the same effort shouldn't be given to address the challenges facing girls and women. We can aspire for the success and flourishing of both boys and girls. Their success is not mutually exclusive but rather collectively essential.
Addressing the challenges boys face today requires a multi-faceted approach involving parents, educators, policymakers, communities, and society at large. Crescent’s purpose is to educate boys of promise to be men of character who are self-aware, who are positive leaders, and who can leave the world better than they find it. Our mission to educate boys holds tremendous possibilities, and the world needs them more than ever.
