Britain's 'world standing' at risk from boys 'chronic' lower results at GCSE
Author Professor Alan Smithers believes the issue is being ignored because of 'fashionable narratives' that frame boys as 'privileged'.
His research for Buckingham University predicts boys will lag behind girls as usual when their GCSE results are released this Thursday.
Last year, 24.7 per cent of female entries achieved at least a grade 7 – the equivalent to the old A – 5.7 percentage points higher than the 19 per cent of male entries that achieved it.
Boys have been behind girls in getting these top grades for the last 35 years, with a 1.5 percentage point gap in 1989 rising to 7.3 in 2017.
Professor Smithers said it would ultimately hit the country's ability to compete globally if other nations were able to get more out of their male pupils.
He said: 'The chronic under-performance of boys in education should be treated as a major issue.
'It appears that we are not developing the talents of half the population as fully as we could.
'This can only lead to a decline in the nation's economic competitiveness and ultimately loss of its standing in the world.'
The report, from Buckingham's Centre for Education and Employment Research (CEER), found that girls were also ahead at the very top grade of 9, the equivalent of a high A*.
Last year, 5.8 per cent of girls got a grade 9, compared with just 4.3 per cent of boys – also a long-term trend.
Noting that more girls now enter university than boys, Professor Smithers added: 'It seems that girls are more aware of the value of education and apply themselves more diligently to the hard work involved.'
However, Professor Smithers said the poor performance of boys is being ignored because 'boys are habitually seen as privileged'.
Last year, he called for a high-level inquiry into the underperformance of boys in his annual GCSE report.
'I was met with the complacent view that since men usually came out on top anyway what's to worry about,' he said.
'Our policy makers seem to be content for the hard evidence of the exam results to be over-ridden by fashionable narratives.'
Professor Smithers also said grades could 'remain high' this year – as on A-level day – but equally regulators could decide bring down grade inflation.
Last year, 21.8 per cent of all entries got at least a grade 7, down from 22.0 per cent in 2023.
However it was still higher than 2019, before the pandemic, when 20.8 per cent got these grades.
In the Covid years of 2020 to 2022, grades were wildly inflated due to teachers deciding grades, and since then regulators have been trying to return grades to 2019 levels.
In his wide-ranging report, Professor Smithers also reiterated calls for the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) – a government measure encouraging take-up of hard subjects including languages – to be 'scrapped' as he suggested the policy had 'failed' due to low take-up of French and German.
A Department for Education spokesman said: 'We want every young person, whatever their gender, background or wherever they live to have the opportunity to succeed.
'The Curriculum and Assessment Review is currently considering where improvements should be made to the education system, with its final report and recommendations due in the autumn.
'Later this year we will also bring about the further reforms needed as part of our Plan for Change through our Schools White Paper to create an education system where every child and young person can achieve and thrive.'
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