On Thursday 10 July, Members of Parliament will debate the above in House of Commons Chamber. It is a debate led by Labour MP, Sam Rushworth (Bishop Auckland).
The Centre for Policy Research on Men and Boys produced a briefing for Members of Parliament. The key Executive Summary and Recommendations are below.
Executive Summary and Recommendations
Boys are behind girls at every level of attainment and in comparable socio-economic and ethnic groups – a pattern for over three decades, yet there is:
- Little research on the causes or solutions.
- Only relatively-small national level initiatives – and these are grass roots initiatives such as the Boys Impact Hubs[i] created by educationalists themselves. There are no national recognised initiatives or policies to address these issues.
- No conclusive information on whether boys’ underachievement is referred to in teacher training curricula.
The level of under-attainment and disengagement is impacting on the economy and wider society and will impact on the government’s plans for a national employment rate of 80% and its wider Modern Industrial Strategy.
The Centre for Policy Research is putting forward eight outline policy recommendations:
(1) The government should create a full research programme on the reasons for young men and boys’ relative underperformance followed by a full implementation strategy and plan.
(2) Boys underperformance should be explicitly referenced alongside a strategy in the forthcoming Schools White Paper.
(3) The Education Select Committee[ii] inquiry (ceased in 2024 due to the General Election) on boys’ engagement and attainment should be restarted.
(4) The Government and local authorities should work with civic organisations to increase boys’ membership.
(5) There should be a nationwide campaign and strategic project to encourage and increase the number of male mentors available to young men and boys whether through schools (including more male teachers) in community/civil society (Lads Needs Dads[iii] has a model) and relatable leaders (tradespeople, community leaders).
(6) There should be an increase in investment in further education and careers promotion so that boys see and attain a clear pathway into employment. CPRMB recommends a “This Boy Can” campaign focused on employment including into under-represented careers in health/social care and education (known as HEAL jobs).
(7) Policymakers including the government at all levels should talk up young men and boys to give them confidence and then should provide better support with their vulnerabilities.
(8) There should be a Ministerial role with explicit responsibility for improving boys’ educational attainment.
[i] Arts University Bournemouth, Boys Impact Hubs, 2025: https://www.boysimpact.com/
[ii] Education Select Committee, Boys Attainment and Engagement, 2024: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/8383/boys-attainment-and-engagement-in-education/
[iii] Lads Need Dads, Programmes, 2025: https://ladsneeddads.org/programmes/