SAEDNEWS: Statistics from this year's university entrance exam show that out of the total 1,152,518 candidates registered for the first round of the 1403 national exams, only 37 percent are men.
The lack of interest among boys in attending university due to concerns about employment after graduation has led many of them to prefer learning skills and starting businesses over going to university.
According to SaedNews, quoting the Fars agency, "With high-paying freelance jobs and tax exemptions, why spend so many years of our lives at university?" or "Well, girls have no other choice but to study, but the situation for boys is different," are the words of many 80s-born boys who this year have given up on the idea of taking the entrance exam.
Former Deputy Minister of Science said: changes in the ratio of girls to boys entering university started in the early 90s.
At the same time, the increase in the unemployment rate of higher education graduates between the academic years 1391-1390 and 1401-1400 despite the decline in the unemployment rate is one of the factors influencing the reduced interest among the young population, especially boys, in continuing higher education.
University education did not become a guarantee for finding a job for many born in the 60s and 70s, and the lack of job markets suitable for university disciplines, low incomes, and societal expectations from men to provide for their families has led them to enter the job market early in income-generating fields.
In the near future, the number of educated university girls will exceed that of educated men. This phenomenon has even been more pronounced in recent marriages and has become one of the obstacles to marriage because girls prefer their partners to have the same or higher level of education. Considering that the importance of income is gradually surpassing that of a degree, until this culture is fully established, educated girls will have fewer options for marriage.
Seyyed Jalal Mousavi, Deputy Supervisor of the Higher Council of Cultural Revolution Education and Training Office, emphasized that the 26 percent lead of girls entering universities reflects the rectified culture of skill orientation in the country and expressed that "employment is more important for men," which is why academic education is not their first priority.
Former member of the Higher Council of Cultural Revolution Mehdi Golshani believes the reduction in the number of boys taking the entrance exam shows a flaw in higher education and says if this trend continues for the next few years, it will have social consequences.
Sociologists believe society expects men to head the family and provide for it, which is why men change their paths from the beginning. Therefore, creating hope for boys that their material lives will improve if they continue their education can be an effective incentive for balance in universities. Emphasizing social status alongside higher education can also be a valuable source of motivation to encourage boys.
