- Mark Brooks OBE is male inclusion policy adviser and co-author of the new HEPI report, Boys will be boys: The educational underachievement of boys and young men.
Having been involved in the world of men and boys’ issues (chairing charities, running campaigns, trying to get policy change) for a long time, the last few weeks have been potentially game-changing. We saw the Centre for Social Justice report Lost Boys, Netflix’s Adolescence and the Boys will be boys policy report from Nick Hillman and me for this Institute.
I felt that the Netflix programme raised serious issues facing some, not all, of our teenage boys, albeit it felt a little tick boxy in places (Tate – tick, Incels – tick, dad not around all the time – tick). I felt a little uneasy about how the dad was portrayed (leaving home at 6am and coming home at 8pm as if it was his fault and it was all his choice). Being the eldest son of a van driver, I am somewhat sensitive to negative portrayals of working-class dads doing the best they can to keep the lights on for their families.
The report Nick and I wrote highlighted the continuing gender gap between male and female teenagers going into higher education. We estimate it is half a million over a decade with no sign of any change on the horizon, given the main predictor is an attainment gap in school. Boys remain behind girls at every level. Therefore, they are not getting the grades and as a consequence, are not taking enough of the exams to qualify.
The main commonalities between both are that these issues have been hidden in plain sight. The issues raised by Adolescence about disengaged boys, negative influencers and their impact have been known for a long time. The same is true of the gender attainment gap. It shouldn’t, like last years’ Post Office Scandal drama, take TV to bring these to the fore.
The main difference between our report and the ensuing debate about Adolescence is what comes next.
We offered a range of policy solutions from schools taking up boy-positive principles to more male teachers and role models. Plus, there should be an increased focus on gender disparities in Access and Participation Plans, a Minister for Men and Boys and re-opening the Select Committee inquiry on boys’ attainment. Many more as well.
What has been missing with regard to Adolescence at a national political and education level is the lack of commitment for concrete action. More male teachers and role models, came the welcome call from Sir Gareth Southgate. But there was no commitment from anyone to act. The Prime Minister said he was concerned and would look at it, but he made no pledge on action or what that would look like. There was also no huge push on tackling the problems boys have, only talking about the problems boys cause. But of course, tackling the problems boys have reduces the problems some boys cause – to themselves and others, including women and girls.
My fear is that the media and political agenda will move on as it always does and nothing will change. The higher education attendance gap will remain, 150 plus teenage boys will die by suicide every year, well over 6,000 boys will continue to be excluded from school and 250,000 young men will still be unemployed.
The higher education sector needs more boys to do well, so more go to higher education, and they do better when they are there. Our economy and society depend on it, too. The lesson from both Adolescence and Boys will be boys is that a continual lack of concrete action will no longer do.
Really interesting and thought provoking comments. Thanks for writing. Like a lot of educational “problems” this needs solving much earlier down the chain. You focus on the lack of male primary (and secondary) school teachers, which is vital. Also the atmosphere in schools and some of the imperatives (such as a very high stakes examination system) all count against boys.
Fully agree with the comment that intervention at the earliest stages of the process are necessary to ensure engagement with young boys.
Being a father of two young boys, and have been through the higher education system myself, I am able to emphasise the importance of education to them, but not every young boy has this. Where their own parent(s) are perhaps unaware of the importance of education for their kids or simply don’t think it is important, the other male role models in their lives become very important, and if there are few male teachers in primary education then these opportunities are few and far between.
Also educating parents on the importance of instilling a strong study ethic, and the drive to help themselves improve in their kids, will go a long way towards addressing the performance gender gap, because in my book boys are in general less studious than girls and need to be steered towards it much more.