Boys’ Education Commission issues call for evidence

The Boys’ Education Commission (BEC), chaired by former headteacher and political advisor, Peter Hyman, is issuing a Call for Evidence to inform its deliberations.

The Call for evidence is open now and will run until 14^th September. The BEC is the most extensive research project undertaken to look at how we can support boys to thrive. The Commission wants to hear from educators, practitioners, schools, academy trusts, colleges, parents, students, charities, researchers and other stakeholders to examine the challenges faced by boys and insights, expertise and experience on ways to make things better. Details on how to submit evidence can be found at this page.

Peter Hyman says, “This is a huge social issue. We all have an interest in boys and young men thriving, yet too many at the moment are struggling. We want to gather as many different perspectives to shed as possible to shed light on this issue. While our focus is education, this is not just about exams and qualifications but also about how boys grow into happy, confident and successful men. We’re interested to hear views regarding the whole range of boys’ formative experiences both in and outside of school.

The Boy’s Education Commissioners believe there needs to be a greater visibility of the particular challenges boys face in education and that should never come at the expense of supporting girls.

Hyman says:

“Boys and girls both need support in the challenges they face. It would be wrong to advance one at the expense of the other. The focus of this commission is on boys, who the data shows, are struggling in a number of areas. We are determined to find out why and provide practical solutions.”

The need to sharpen the focus on boys’ education is evidenced by the latest figures for NEETs. The number of young men not in education, employment or training has now reached 553,000, the highest number for fourteen years. 

Evidence can be submitted here

The Commission will try to understand the root causes of what is going wrong for some boys at the moment, create a debate around these vital issues, and develop actionable recommendations for government, policy makers, the education system, boys and their parents.

The Commission will:

“Recommend strategies to close achievement gaps, equip boys for success in life and at work and promote positive emotional, and social development.

“Diagnose the issue. It will review current educational data, research, and best practices both nationally and internationally.

“Engage with educators, practitioners, parents, students, and other stakeholders.

“Identify systemic barriers and cultural factors affecting boys’ educational engagement and success.

“Recommend reforms to curriculum design, teaching, school and college environments, provision beyond the classroom and wider support systems tailored to boys’ developmental needs.”