There’s something happening in society around boys and men – their identity, their sense of purpose, their growing anxiety about where and how they fit in.

Evidence from academic research and educational outcomes indicates that boys, on average, are underperforming, relative to girls, in key areas such as literacy, engagement, and higher education attainment. But more than that, many boys and men report feeling anxious, unhappy, angry, or just lost.

So rather than leave such a vital societal issue to attention-seeking headlines, media punditry or quack remedies, we are setting up a Commission to conduct a focused, time-limited inquiry into how the education system can be reformed to better meet the specific educational and developmental needs of boys.

At its heart, the Commission will look at how, in this increasingly fast-paced, rapidly-changing digital world, we bring up boys to flourish: how we show them that they are valued, how we give them a rich and varied education, how we ensure they have role models to look up to and how we prepare them to take their place as valued and successful members of society.

We will look at ‘education’ in its widest sense. Not just narrow exam success, though that matters, but how boys grow up with the confidence and tools to flourish as successful men, fathers, brothers, sons, friends and work colleagues.

This project will explore the education system from early years to the end of higher education and propose the solutions necessary to ensure it really delivers for boys.

The Commission will seek to understand the root causes of these disparities and develop actionable recommendations for government, policy makers, the education system, boys and their parents.

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An explanation of the Commission's actions, remit and why it is needed

The overarching enquiry will focus on:

How do we support boys to thrive in school and support them to become capable, confident, kind and purposeful young men?

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:

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

(2) Engage with educators, practitioners, parents, students, and other stakeholders.

(3) Identify systemic barriers and cultural factors affecting boys’ educational engagement and success.

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

(5) Provide and promote strategies to close achievement gaps, equip boys for success in life and at work and promote positive emotional, and social development.

Challenges and questions

The Commission will address every stage in a boy’s learning, from early years until early employment and will address key questions at each stage:

(1) What are the barriers to boys thriving at school? How is this broken down by place, class and ethnicity?

(2) Internationally, which education systems produce the best outcomes for both boys and girls – not only in terms of academic standards but in terms of social engagement, motivation and wellbeing?

(3) In the UK, what lessons can be learned from UK schools that achieve better for their boys than average UK schools?

(4) What changes would be required to replicate, or better, the best in global and UK systems at each developmental stage?

(5) At what point does it go wrong for some boys e.g. the transition from primary to secondary, or the post-16 fork in the road?

(6) How should the curriculum and assessment system support boys’ education?

(7) How can non-formal education support boy’s learning and development?

(8) How should the post-16 system be designed to ensure it delivers for boys and the wider economy?

(9) How do identity, status, and attitudes towards manhood affect young men?

(10) What are the relationships that can make the biggest difference for boys as they grow up and how are they nurtured?

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