Why do boys consistently underperform in academic assessment compared to girls throughout the primary and secondary phases of education?

It is important not to generalise about the performance of boys and girls, or to focus only on averages. Many boys achieve great success in academic assessment, attaining well and demonstrating consistent engagement in school and college. It is important, therefore, that the inquiry examines in more granular detail which specific groups of boys underperform when compared with specific groups of girls, and considers the external factors that may contribute to this. 

It is also important to be cognisant of research which suggests that different approaches may be more or less successful with boys or girls in general, without either assuming that this will be the case for every boy or girl, or inadvertently perpetuating stereotypes. Our submission to this inquiry is offered in the context of these caveats.

 
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