Access to education is a basic human entitlement and serves as a significant catalyst for economic progress. To make sure that everyone has a chance, nations have rightly focused on enhancing educational chances for girls.
Even though progress has been made, aiding girls remains vital for realizing gender equality. However, UNESCO’s 2022 worldwide report regarding boys’ disengagement from schooling pointed out that in certain regions and educational phases, boys encounter considerable academic hurdles.
In various countries where girls have historically faced issues in attaining equal educational access, boys might currently be falling behind: they are more prone to repeat grades, drop out, and experience poorer academic results.
To create inclusive and fair societies, it is crucial to tackle the educational obstacles that affect both boys and girls.
What strategies can we implement to address boys’ disengagement from education while promoting gender equality? Initial insights can be gained from the research initiative “Lifting Barriers: Educating Boys for Gender Equality,” which is backed by GPE KIX, UNESCO, Equimundo, and the University of East Anglia. Our method is to advocate for gender-transformative education with tailored assistance for boys when required.
Detrimental gender expectations lie at the heart of the problem
Harmful gender expectations lead to boys’ withdrawal from education. Societal and gender beliefs that consider performing well academically as “unmasculine,” the expectation for boys to act as providers, or higher instances of corporal punishment can result in boys disengaging from school.
Effectively crafting and positioning educational initiatives is vital to guarantee that no one is neglected. Assisting boys in their educational journey should not impede girls’ progress or ignore the specific challenges they encounter. Rather, it should be integrated into a transformative strategy benefiting everyone involved.
Advocacy has been pivotal in obtaining support for the inclusion of boys: addressing their disengagement is an important milestone in the larger quest for gender equality.
The benefits are substantial. Educated boys and men are more inclined to advocate for equality and show respect for all individuals.
Boys should not be viewed as issues needing resolution or be seen as having pathologies. Educational approaches must concentrate on the positive traits and potential of boys, leveraging their strengths, goals, and values to foster academic achievement and help them thrive.
This is known as an asset-based approach: altering the perspective from viewing boys as problems to be solved to acknowledging their strengths and abilities to achieve their educational goals.
Transforming research into actionable solutions
Interventions aimed at addressing the disengagement of boys in educational settings are uncommon.
Our findings indicate that successful strategies must adopt a comprehensive approach throughout the school, creating safe environments where boys can engage and reflect, providing continual support from teachers and facilitators, promoting healthy manifestations of masculinity, and including caregivers and community participants to ensure enduring success and sustainability.
In particular, it stresses that all boys and men ought to have the freedom to showcase various forms of positive masculinity without the risk of being marginalized, mocked, or subjected to violence.
It encourages the demonstration of masculinities that are in line with equitable principles, as well as fostering health and wellness. Instances of this include being dedicated fathers and partners, showing care and intimacy, and seeking help when needed.
In light of this, we are implementing a gender-transformative intervention at the school level that is designed to benefit both boys and girls. This will encompass training for teachers, teaching materials, and clubs for boys, along with support for the developers and reviewers of educational resources.
Fostering national ownership and disseminating results
We have carried out thorough research on boys’ educational disengagement in three carefully chosen target nations: Cambodia, Lesotho, and Malawi, in order to customize interventions, resources, and training according to the specific needs and contexts of these countries.
The countries were selected based on educational data, their priorities, and the capacity for delivery by consortium members and local partners at the national level.
Moreover, all three nations have a higher number of boys compared to girls who are out of school at the primary and secondary levels, along with low learning outcomes and significant incidents of physical violence and bullying within educational institutions.
