Ruel B. Reid, Contributor

Defining the Problem

ACCORDING TO Miller (1991), the Caribbean is one of the few regions in the world where there are more illiterate men than women. In 1999, the illiteracy figures were 25.9 per cent for men and 14.1 per cent for women.

Although

there have been remarkable improvements since then, the males are still

lagging behind the females, with the most recent estimates based on

calculated figures by Jamaica Adult Literacy Survey being 10.6 per cent

for males and 6.5 per cent females in 2008.

More recently,

ministers of education from across the Commonwealth have raised the

issue of boys' underachievement and poor attendance at school, which is a

growing phenomenon in all regions.

This subject has raised heated debate as well as a number of conflicting hypotheses (Jha & Kelleher 2006).

The debate started around the early 1970s and came to the fore in the mid-90s.

The

Grade One Individual Learning Profile (GILP), a diagnostic test, which

replaced the Grade One Readiness Inventory (GRI), is taken by children

upon entry into primary school from early-childhood institutions.

In

the Grade Four Literacy Test, the results are also telling. Seventy per

cent of the students achieved mastery of the test, with boys averaging

59 per cent and girls 81 per cent.

The boys recorded an even

poorer performance on the numeracy test, averaging 36 per cent when

compared with 55 per cent for girls.

Data on the performance of

students on the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) also show comparable

results, with girls receiving consistently higher scores than boys.

The GSAT facilitates placement and continued development of students at the secondary level.

In 2009, a total of 49,648 students, representing approximately 91 per cent of the grade-six cohort, sat the examination.

The table above shows girls outperforming boys in all five areas of the Grade Six Achievement Test.

A

comparison of student performance in primary and preparatory schools

indicate that the latter students are achieving better results.

However, boys continue to underachieve when compared to the girls.

Additionally,

data aggregated by school type in a cohort of schools demonstrated that

girls outperformed boys on academic tests in public primary and all-age

schools; while at high and preparatory schools, the boys performed

better at academic and cognitive tests, albeit not significantly so.

Although the boys and girls are receiving similar cognitive scores, there is disparate academic performance.

According

to Maureen Samms-Vaughan (2001), this could be attributed to different

experiences of male and female children in primary and all-age schools, a

teaching technique or approach, which facilitates girls or greater

vulnerability of boys when exposed to similar circumstances as girls.

It is safe to conclude that the teaching experiences at the primary and all-age levels need to be

reviewed and adjusted in order to support boys in realising their

fullest potential.

The poor performance of boys in the

Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examination is also worrying,

as the boys are particularly at risk.

In 2009, of the

163,245 subject entries for public secondary school students at the

general and technical proficiency levels, 60.6 per cent were for females

and 39.4 per cent for males.

The statistics also

revealed that the males sat fewer subjects and had a higher failure rate

than their female counterparts.

Therefore, there is

no surprise that there is a corresponding 70:30 participation of females

in tertiary education compared to males.

Possible

Factors Impacting Boys Underachievement

It is

generally accepted that a child's performance is determined by factors

both inside and outside of school.

Jules (2010)

supports this position by stating that "male underachievement in the

region is only a symptom of deep-seated differentials in society and

cannot be resolved in the arena of the school

alone".

The main question for decision or policymakers

and other educational officials, however, is what can be done within

the school system to improve boys' performance, thereby closing the

achievement gap?

Summary

Conclusions

1 Boys are underachieving in education not

only when compared to their female counterparts, but also against

objective standards of performance for their peer

group.

2 Gender achievement differences are evident

from the earliest years of school life.

3 Boys' early

socialisation and society's expectations about male behaviour have

retarded their academic performance.

4 There is lower

attendance levels for male than female students, especially in primary

and junior high schools, as well as secondary and technical high

schools.

5 Boys in preparatory schools generally

achieve at higher levels of performance than their counterparts in

government-owned institutions.

6 Negative school and

home environment are key contributory factors to male

underachievement.

Strategies for closing the gap and

winning back our boys

When male students endure

academic underachievement, a major consequence is that they become at

risk and are more prone to suffer from a variety of negative factors

such as illiteracy, dropping out of school, crime, substance abuse, drug

trafficking, unemployment, poverty and suicide. At-risk students need

help and specific strategies should be designed to empower them

(Superville, 1999).

Boys' underachievement is a result

of a 'complex interplay of forces' both at home and school (USAID,

2005).

Case studies conducted in countries all over

the world, inclusive of Jamaica, reveal that schools can make a

difference.

Closing the achievement gap will require

the commitment and dedication of the school leadership team and

staff.

We also need to create a culture where high

expectations are the norm, where achievement is celebrated, and where

teaching and learning techniques are continually improved

on.

No one approach will lead to success. Successful

schools are those that utilise appropriate strategies to suit their own

situations.

It also requires exploring in depth

aspects of 'underachievement' in order to understand the complexity of

the problem along with its varied gender dimensions and to take risks in

developing innovative approaches to address

them.

Closing the underachievement performance gap can

be a daunting task.

The challenge will not be

addressed by token efforts.

The solution requires

major changes and investments in instruction as well as infrastructural

facilities in schools.

It will also require major

investments in time and effort in working with families, non-school

organisations and the wider community in eliminating the deficits that

boys currently are experiencing.

The ultimate goal of

any educational reform programme should be to improve the quality of the

education system and raise the bar and benefit all learners, both male

and female (USAID, 2005).

Ruel B. Reid is a veteran

educator and the principal of Jamaica College. Send feedback to

editor@gleanerjm.com.



Table 1: Performance on the Grade One Individual Learning Profile 2008-2009 academic year



SUBJECT NATIONAL AVERAGE BOYS GIRLS General knowledge 10.3% 12.5% 7.8% Number concept 11.3% 12.4% 10% Oral language 15.5% 15.1% 15.9% Reading 21% 18.9% 23.3% Writing & drawing 23% 18% 29%



Table 2: Performance on the Grade Four Literacy Tests in the 2008-2009 academic year



National Average BOYS GIRLS Literacy 70% 59% 81% Numeracy 45% 36% 55%

Table 3: Performance in the Grade Six Achievement Test by gender

Subjects 2009 2010