In most countries, girls have traditionally been disadvantaged in education. In recent years, Jamaican boys have increasingly underachieved in secondary and tertiary education. A participatory project focusing on schoolboys in Jamaica is achieving success in reducing poor attendance and performance and tackling boys’ violent and anti-social behaviour.

While the gender gap is narrowing in many parts of the world, some countries are experiencing a new trend in which boys are participating less and performing worse than girls. A book from the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth of Learning attempts to understand the nature and causes of boys’ underachievement in Commonwealth countries and suggests potential solutions. The study uses data and information from case studies in Jamaica, Lesotho, Australia and Samoa.

In Jamaica, boys’ participation in secondary schooling in 2002 to 2003 fell slightly to 74 percent, three percent less than that of girls. Boys were more than twice as likely as girls to repeat school. In 2005, statistics also showed girls were clearly outperforming boys. At tertiary level, young women were twice as likely as young men to enter tertiary education in 2002 to 2003.

The ‘Change from Within’ (CFW) programme initially brought together four schools that were attempting individually to tackle increasing violence and anti-social behaviour among boys. The project expanded later to 32 schools. The programme has two strands. One is a participatory action research strategy involving the community, students, teachers, administration and parents and includes observation, documentation, discussion and analysis. The second strand is the adoption of strategies to promote change and build cooperation among the schools.

The programme identifies four key challenges in boys’ development:

• Many young boys lack self esteem. Children often develop a sense of worthlessness stemming from their culture and environment.
• Violence and the lack of discipline are a growing problem in schools and communities. Three secondary schools within the project experienced severe acts of violence.
• Performance in school is affected by gender. Masculine identities influence boys and young men away from performing academically, often towards more negative behaviour.
• Opportunities for jobs after graduation are limited, so alternative lifestyles appear more attractive even if they go against accepted values and behaviour.

One of the schools, Blue Mountain High School, introduced interventions focusing on changing boys’ need to conform to gender stereotypes. These include workshops on parenting skills and a residential summer camp. This case study within the greater CFW project shows that:

• Schools can bring about changes, even in difficult situations, if they have a strong leadership and introduce appropriate strategies.
• Strict rules and the encouragement of more participation at school are changing students’ attitudes and behaviour, showing that stringent rules are effective if combined well.
• The school’s sense of isolation was broken by working within a broader project promoting sharing, co-operation, mutual learning, experimentation and constant growth. These same principles were used to help reduce boys’ sense of alienation at the school level.
• The school concentrated on reforms related to management and succeeded in bringing about major changes. However, more sustainable and effective change also requires reforms to teaching principles and practice.

Source(s):
‘Boys’ Underachievement in Education: an Exploration in Selected Commonwealth Countries’, Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth of Learning: London, by Jyotsna Jha and Fatimah Kelleher, 2006 (PDF) Full document.

Funded by: Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth of Learning

id21 Research Highlight: 24 March 2008

Further Information:
Jyotsna Jha / Fatimah Kelleher
Commonwealth Secretariat
Marlborough House
Pall Mall
London SW1Y 5HX
UK

Tel: +44 207 7476553
Fax: +44 207 7476287
Contact the contributor: j.jha@commonwealth.int

Commonwealth Secretariat, UK

Communications and Public Affairs Division
Commonwealth Secretariat
Marlborough House
Pall Mall
London SW1Y 5HX
UK

Tel: +44 207 7476342
Fax: +44 207 8399081
Contact the contributor: publications@commonwealth.int

Other related links:
'Boys Lower Participation in Schools in Lesotho'

'Pushing the "problems" underground? Left behind learners in South Africa'

'Making the difference: how schools influence gender identity'