The Problem with Boys
Analysis7 Okt 2019

The Problem with Boys

The data is indisputable: in developed countries boys now lag behind girls in several significant areas of education.

For years, women lagged behind men in educational attainment. More boys went to university, and twice as many men as women got degrees in 1960. Forty years later and, fifty seven percent of university students are women. By almost any measure of school related performance girls are doing better than boys.

Everyone agrees there is a problem but there is little consensus over what is causing it. Are boys doing worse or girls doing better? Is the education system biased against boys? Are boys just wired differently when it comes to learning?

The roots of the new gender gap are complex and nuanced, but if we can't agree on what's causing it, how can we solve it? In the meantime more and more boys will fall behind.

In this Analysis on The Problem with Boys, BBC journalist and father of three boys, David Grossman, looks at the evidence and tries to find a way forward.

Producer: Gemma Newby Editor: Jasper Corbett

Episoder(389)

How far should reparative justice go?

How far should reparative justice go?

Amid mounting claims for reparations for slavery and colonialism, historian Zoe Strimpel asks how far reparative justice should go. Should we limit reparations to the living survivors of state atroc...

1 Aug 202329min

Is there a new elite?

Is there a new elite?

People have always fought back against “The elite”, and until recently they were easily recognisable: rich, privileged and often born into money. Old Etonians, billionaires, oil barons, media tycoons ...

17 Jul 202328min

Why are so many workers on strike?

Why are so many workers on strike?

Will 2023 be known as the summer of discontent? This year, nearly every corner of the country has been affected by some kind of industrial action, and more is coming. Teachers, doctors, nurses, rail...

10 Jul 202328min

Does work have to be miserable?

Does work have to be miserable?

How can employers in all sectors of the UK economy get the best out of their workers, retain experienced staff, improve productivity and increase profits at the same time? The principles of "Job Desig...

3 Jul 202328min

Do single people get a raw deal?

Do single people get a raw deal?

Single people make up a large proportion of the population in Britain. People are marrying later and less, getting divorced more often, and living longer. Although not all people who live alone are si...

26 Jun 202328min

What’s changing about childbirth?

What’s changing about childbirth?

The past decade has seen important shifts in when women become mothers, with 31 years now being the average age for this to occur. This has implications for fertility, pregnancy and birth experiences....

19 Jun 202329min

What are companies for?

What are companies for?

Ruth Sunderland, the group business editor of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, asks industry leaders and thinkers about the purpose of companies. Should they be organisations designed to generate pr...

12 Jun 202327min

Do Boycotts Work?

Do Boycotts Work?

Boycotts are big at the moment. On a global scale, many countries are boycotting Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. There are campaigns to boycott products produced in Turkey, Israel or China. ...

5 Jun 202328min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
i-retten
forklart
popradet
stopp-verden
det-store-bildet
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-gukild-johaug
fotballpodden-2
nokon-ma-ga
bt-dokumentar-2
hanna-de-heldige
aftenbla-bla
chit-chat-med-helle
frokostshowet-pa-p5
rss-dannet-uten-piano
rss-ness
e24-podden