NZ needs to address boys’ education concerns

Media Release

NZ needs to address boys’ education concerns

New Zealand is behind the eight ball when it comes to addressing concerns over boys’ education in schools.

That’s according to Auckland-based teachers Alison Derbyshire and Nicola Agnew, who are spreading the word on their findings of research into boys’ education.

Their research shows there is a significant gender gap in students’ achievement, especially in literacy-based subjects such as English.

Latest statistics from the 2008 NCEA results support their claim, with girls outperforming boys at every senior level.

Nicola Agnew says New Zealand is also lagging behind when it comes to the amount of money being pumped into boys’ education.

“We really are behind the eight ball when it comes to the way boys learn. It is quite frightening when you compare us to other nations,” she says.

The pair will talk about strategies to help raise achievement and reduce barriers at the annual New Zealand School Trustees Association conference being held at the Skycity Auckland Convention Centre from July 3-5.

“The Ministry of Education has set up a boys’ education website and there is an ERO booklet on best practice for boys, but it’s nothing like what’s going on in other countries,”says Ms Derbyshire.

Australia, for example, has spent $19.4m on boys’ initiatives through its Success for Boys project, she says.

In New Zealand, Alison Derbyshire says boys will continue to achieve below their potential until schools accept that they learn differently from girls and look at initiatives to help them.

“Some schools and some teachers just say boys need to focus more, but it’s not about that. They are different, they do learn differently and schools just need to accept that.”

The pair hope their attempt to raise awareness of boys’ issues will see boards of trustees and schools sit up and take notice.

They say boards of trustees must be open minded and encourage professional development, to allow staff to learn what they can do in the classroom to make it more boy-friendly.

“It’s about sitting back and looking at ways you can change the school environment to help boys thrive,” says Alison Derbyshire.

“One of the major things is understanding that there is a difference between boys and girls - girls naturally lean to the “read and write” way of learning, or the verbal and oral centres of the brain, whereas boys are much more spatially-orientated.

“They’re still capable of learning exactly the same things as girls, it’s just about offering them different opportunities in the classroom, like allowing movement,” she says.

“I spent my first year of teaching telling boys off for swinging on chairs but now I encourage it - they’re actually trying to keep themselves switched on.

“You can’t see it as a way that boys are trying to be naughty, they love the movement and that’s what keeps them going and focused.”

Another key strategy is giving short specific instructions rather than a long list of instructions.

“Capture boys’ attention by making things relevant to them, always set high expectations and keep to them, and make sure there are always fair and consistent consequences for bad behaviour. They are more likely to thrive in those situations.

“Often if they’re not catered to, boys get restless in class or unfocused and that’s when they start doing things which get them into trouble.”

Having implemented numerous initiatives in their own school, Ms Derbyshire says early indications are positive.

“Boys are getting more books out of the library, they are getting more involved in leadership positions, more boys are having a visual presence around the school and we have very low stand-down rates.”

The School Trustees Association conference will attract more than 650 trustees from all over the country. It is based on the theme Effective governance: no excuses, no exceptions, high expectations.

ENDS