In developed countries, on average, boys underperform girls at school. They are much worse at reading, less likely to go to college and their lead in math is shrinking. In Britain, White working-class boys perform especially badly, raising issues that reverberate through our societies and politics, as adults with poor literacy tend to have bad health, low wages and little trust in others.
In developed countries, on average, boys underperform girls at school. They are much worse at reading, less likely to go to university, and their lead in maths is shrinking (to nothingness, in countries such as China and Singapore). In Britain, white working-class boys perform especially badly. Educationalists have only recently started focusing on the boy problem in earnest, though Smith says: “I don’t think there’s a school in the country that hasn’t thought about it.” So what can be done for boys?
“Historically, women have been in support roles. Workplace attitudes haven’t changed that much,” she says. Craig Bryson, an executive assistant at recruiter Korn Ferry, agrees. In past roles, he has been treated as a novelty. “A lot of people would say, ‘Are you the male EA?’ It was like show-and-tell.” Others would assume he was a senior manager. Some male PAs and EAs have experienced positive discrimination. One EA says he has heard male managers request male assistants because they were perceived to be “unflappable” — in other words, less emotional than women. Another says he is invited to drinks with male directors whereas his female counterparts are not.