MPs are set to investigate why boys consistently underperform in schools compared with girls and how it can be tackled.
The Commons Education Select Committee has launched an inquiry into the attainment gap between girls and boys, which it said exists across all age groups and nearly all ethnic groups.
The GCSE attainment gap between girls and boys was at its narrowest in 14 years for 2022-23. However, 24.9 per cent of girls achieved a grade 7 or A, compared with 19.1 per cent of boys.
Committee chair Robin Walker said the “discrepancy is more stark” in some state schools compared with others where there is little difference between genders.
Raising boys’ attainment
Mr Walker said: “In this inquiry, we will look at every set of stakeholders in the system to investigate how methods of teaching or elements of the curriculum could be improved to raise the attainment of boys and keep them engaged with their education, and without bringing down the attainment of girls.”
Experts and organisations can submit written evidence to the inquiry online until 17 May.
Questions posed by the inquiry include why respondents think boys consistently underperform, what steps schools are taking to improve this and what steps the Department for Education should be taking.
Boys were nearly twice as likely as girls to be excluded in the autumn term of 2022-23, according to government data.
By the end of primary school for 2022-23, 63 per cent of girls met the expected standard in English reading and writing, compared with 56 per cent of boys.
However, boys performed slightly better in maths - with 73 per cent meeting the expected standard compared with 72 per cent of girls.
Among children eligible for free school meals, girls outperform boys in all ethnic groups at GCSE - except among children from Gypsy Roma and Irish Traveller backgrounds.
One of the few areas where there is no significant gender gap is in rates of persistent absence from school.
Boys more likely to drop out
Girls outperform boys at A level - though this gap has decreased compared with previous years. Boys are less likely to progress to higher education.
Boys have also been slightly more likely to drop out of school and become NEET (not in education, employment or training) since 2020.
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