Despite progress in recent years, girls continue to suffer severe disadvantage and exclusion in education systems throughout their lives. An estimated 31 million girls of primary school age and 32 million girls of lower secondary school age were out of school in 2013. This is an unfair situation and we must do all that we can to empower girls in all fields of society. However, this should not make us forget the needs of boys, who have worse results than girls in western societies.

The following articles deal with the fact that boys are getting poorer results. The selection made by Katey McPherson, Gurian Institute Executive Director, has been offered in the last news roundup for May 2016.

New technology education program aims to recruit minority middle school boys.  A new technology education program at the University of the District of Columbia will help 100 minority middle school boys learn 3-D modeling and app development and will expose them to future career opportunities in the tech sector.  The Washington Post, April 26, 2016.

How can we help Latino boys succeed? The U.S. Education Secretary has some ideas. Despite significant strides in the last decade, Latino males still face significant barriers on their way to a college degree. Dallas Morning News, April 26, 2016.

Breaking the cycle of failure for young black males. The report called “A Call for Change: The Social and Educational Factors Contributing to the Outcomes of Black Males in Urban Schools” outlines that the nation’s young black males are in a state of crisis and describes their condition as “a national catastrophe.”  The Tennessean, May 7, 2016.

Where did the boys go?  The author shares his perspective on the stagnating percentage of men attending and graduating from colleges and universities in America. Standard Journal, May 16, 2016.

International News

UNITED KINGDOM

How Britain Is Encouraging More Men to Go to College.  The author discusses the attempt to address a growing problem the United Kingdom has in common with the United States: After decades in which men in college far outnumbered women, boys are entering higher education at increasingly low numbers. The Atlantic, May 2, 2016.

Boys need male teachers to help them find their place in the world. Girls born this year will be 75% more likely to study for a degree than their male classmates if action is not taken to address a growing university gender gap, according to a report. Eastern Daily Press, May 16, 2016.

We can’t keep ignoring the issue of boys who fail to achieve.  Boys are falling behind academically from primary school onwards, and appear to be giving up on higher education altogether.  The Telegraph, May 12, 2016.

AUSTRALIA

School principals talk about ways to motivate, inspire and challenge boys. The author claims, “Boys are languishing academically; girls are soaring. This trend has obvious implications not only for boys’ intellectual development but for the national economy.” The Daily Telegraph, April 29, 2016.

IRELAND

School visitors impressed by innovations for Ardoyne boys. Innovative methods of learning that have seen Holy Cross Boys’ School in Ardoyne ranked amongst the best primary schools in the north were put on display this week for a ministerial visit. Belfast Media Group, May 6, 2016.