It's a very interesting article. While the family that was interviewed was resourceful (and not only in money, the mother took on her to call all the teachers of her son and keep track of all the homework to make sure he was not falling behind) and managed to resolve the situation it's not given to everyone.
The article also list many reasons for this worrying trend.
> The roots of boys’ problems are complex. Things that once benefited boys in school, including male teachers, recess and vocational classes, have dwindled in recent years.
> Parents, tutors and education experts say boys need extra encouragement to understand the payoff of working hard in school. Basically, they need a bigger reason than letter grades.
No, you are right you can do everything right and still end up unlucky. That's the hard (awful?) part of life.
But that's an individual path. In aggregate there are statistics that can help us choose and recommend which path to follow. And the statistics show that people with an education are dramatically and earn way more successful than people without.
Are the smartest, the most hard working children the most successful in adult life? In average yes.
and you can add: are any dumb and lazy children successful in life? only if they have rich parents. so while working hard doesn't guarantee success. not working at all pretty much guarantees failure.
The article also list many reasons for this worrying trend.
> The roots of boys’ problems are complex. Things that once benefited boys in school, including male teachers, recess and vocational classes, have dwindled in recent years.
> Parents, tutors and education experts say boys need extra encouragement to understand the payoff of working hard in school. Basically, they need a bigger reason than letter grades.