UK schools 'too feminised for boys to do well'

Schools are failing boys because lessons have become "feminised", argues a prominent UK academic.

The Guardian has reported that Tony Sewell, an author and educational consultant, argues that boys fall behind in exams and the job market because teachers do not nurture male traits such as competitiveness and leadership.

Dr Sewell wants to see outdoor adventure given greater emphasis in the curriculum. The Telegraph reported that Dr Sewell thought boys should be made to do more household chores so they developed a work ethic to stop them falling behind at school.

Dr Sewell was keynote speaker at a conference in London called Boys to Men: Teaching and Learning Masculinities in Schools and Colleges.

Meanwhile, a recent trial in England teaching boys using traditional methods in single-sex classes found the system could cut the achievement gap in exam results compared with girls by half.

Last month, Subtext reported that evidence suggested teenage boys learnt and developed best in a male environment and that boys' schools or classes had particular advantages in meeting male needs.

The Guardian story on Dr Sewell's comments is at this web page.

The Telegraph story on Dr Sewell's comments is at this web page.

A Telegraph story on the traditional teaching methods trial.

The Subtext story that looks at the achievement gap between boys' and girls' education in New Zealand.