House of Representatives Committees

Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Workplace Relations

Inquiry into the education of boys
Media Alert, 10 November 2000

Sydney experts talk about boys' education

Boys can often be blamed for disruptive behaviour and having a bad attitude. Some have low self-esteem, difficulty communicating with others and display problems at school. Some boys are experiencing learning difficulties and the literacy gap between boys and girls is increasing. So, what is the problem facing boys and what can be done to help?

Next week, the House of Representatives Education Committee will conduct public hearings in Sydney with a range of experts from the NSW Department of Education and Training, university faculties of education, school principals and Australian Hearing. Topics include the nature and extent of boys' educational problems, how do boys' difficulties relate to broader social and economic change, which boys are affected, why fewer males are teaching and whether gender differences in audio processing account for boys lagging behind girls in early literacy development.

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The House Education Committee is currently undertaking an inquiry into the education of boys focussing on the social, cultural and educational factors affecting boys.

Dr Brendan Nelson, Committee Chair, said the challenges surrounding the education of boys need to be brought out into the open and discussed as frankly as possible.

"The Committee, through this inquiry, wants to understand the problems and look at what may be done in early to middle schooling that can help and benefit boys," Dr Nelson said. "We need to understand how broader social and economic changes might be affecting boys' attitudes to literacy and learning, why there are declining numbers of male primary teachers and whether this is also a factor. Also, there may be physiological gender differences in audio processing which affect the acquisition of literacy skills and learning and, if there are, this needs to be widely understood by parents and teachers."

For more details on the Sydney public hearings, as well as background information on the inquiry, visit: www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/eewr

For media comment contact Dr Brendan Nelson MP, Chair of the House Education Committee, on 0418 123 438 or 02 94164044

For background information contact the Committee Secretariat on (02) 6277 4573.

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