Why is it happening?

Many organisations have looked into the reasons for this with conclusions ranging from boys being slower developers than girls to they and their male role models, if they have them, holding less positive attitudes towards the value of education. Questions are raised about whether the whole education system is boy-friendly at all. The huge lack of male teachers can surely not help, a problem that increases every year.

So what to do?

Firstly there is a need to re-instill the value of education in boys across the spectrum, and for the education sector at a national and local school, college and university level to give some concrete focus to the matter.

To make sure they are boy-friendly through inspiring them, helping them see what they can achieve and also being positive about masculinity. It is OK for boys to like cars, building sites and generally getting dirty just as it is OK for them not to. Boys want to be young men, and young men want to be grown men – we should celebrate and nurture this, not try and make boys something they are not.