Between the lines: fathers who read to children are positive role models
In a post on his blog, Chinese University vice-chancellor Joseph Sung Jao-yiu discusses gender equality at the institution, noting that more than half of his undergraduate students are female.
This mirrors the trend in many developed economies of women outnumbering men in tertiary institutions, even in traditionally male-dominated disciplines such as mechanical and electronic engineering, and medical specialities such as orthopaedics and traumatology, he writes.
At Brigham Young University in the US, the school notes on a webpage that there has been a marked increase in girls' academic achievement in the past 40 years. Sadly, educators have also documented a decrease in the academic achievements of boys.
"There are several theories about why this is happening, but perhaps the most compelling is the assertion that school and reading especially, is being seen increasingly by young boys as a "feminine" activity," it notes.
A father reading to his children, and the way he does this, can influence their academic development.
Jim Trelease, author of , believes fathers have the power to change this slide.