Report

Boys will be boys: The educational underachievement of boys and young men

This report from UK think tank HEPI considers the consequences of boys and men’s underachievement.

The problem of educational achievement by boys and young men is a long-standing and big one that has been largely ignored by policymakers.

This new HEPI report considers the consequences for individuals and society and proposes:

• adopting a ‘boy positive’ environment in schools;
• expanding proven grassroots initiatives that help boys;
• putting a bigger focus on gender in regulation;
• holding an investigation by Westminster’s Education Select Committee;
• expanding Scotland’s ‘Widening access to higher education’ enquiry;
• incorporating gender into England’s Curriculum and Assessment Review;
• publishing a strategy for men’s education, with ministerial oversight;
• working to get more men into teaching, care roles and nursing;
• funding new research on under-researched areas affecting boys;
• and tackling rules that disproportionately affect men’s access to education.