HL Deb 16 December 1998 vol 595 cc152-3WA
Lord Stoddart of Swindon

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps they are taking to deal with under-achievement by boys in primary and secondary schools; and what progress is being made. [HL249]

Baroness Blackstone

Raising standards of achievement for all pupils is at the heart of this Government's education policies. The successful implementation of those policies—particularly the literacy and numeracy strategies—will have a major effect on boys' and girls' levels of achievement.

Boys' levels of achievement are a continuing cause of concern, particularly in early literacy. We have therefore put in place a number of policies which are specifically directed at boys. LEAs are now required to demonstrate, where relevant, in their Education Development Plans the action they will take to address this issue. We are ensuring that trainee teachers are aware of the need to set high standards, regardless of gender. We have encouraged and enabled schools to analyse the performance of groups of pupils by gender. The National Year of Reading is promoting positive images of fathers and other males reading to children, especially to boys. We are also funding several independent projects aimed at changing boys' perceptions of reading.

Education Action Zones are required to look at issues affecting particular groups of pupils, such as boys' under-achievement. Some of the zones are looking at this issue as a priority within their action plans.

In addition, we are providing financial and other support to about 140 work-related learning projects involving over 700 secondary schools. These projects are aimed at disaffected and under-achieving pupils at key stage 4. By delivering vocational and practical education in college and work contexts, they should help to raise attainments and improve attitudes. Given their relative underperformance at this stage, more boys than girls are gaining from these projects. We have also introduced, from this September, regulations allowing schools to disapply aspects of the National Curriculum at key stage 4 for selected pupils to offer them work-related learning programmes.

The Government are monitoring closely the effects of these policies on boys' levels of achievement. It is too early to evaluate their impact on levels of achievement.