Work Ongoing to Address Educational Underachievement in Boys

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Fayval Williams says work is ongoing in developing programmes and strategies to address educational underachievement in boys.
Speaking on March 19, at the virtual conference on ‘Black Boys’ Education: Currency, Practices and Social Interventions’, Mrs. Williams said there are a number of factors affecting the learning outcomes of this group.

“We know that the reasons for boys academic achievements are varied. A number of attempts are being made at the institutional and policy levels to address the maladies,” she said.

Mrs. Williams noted that the Ministry has examined pedagogical approaches to boys educational outcomes, which encompass issues contributing to their under achievement, differences in gender, as well as strategies to be employed to mitigate against this in future generations.

The Education Minister pointed out that the breakdown in the family unit, absentee fathers and the difference in effective teaching approaches for boys and girls, are some of the sociological factors that have had a significant impact on this demographic.

The event examined issues surrounding the absence of boys in the formal education system, the absence of men from the formal tertiary education system and the institutions created to provide at- risk youth with a second chance in the formal education system.

“These are imperatives from a policy perspective for the Ministry. I must commend the organizers for this collaborative approach…We have a lot of work to do at the policy level. Your perspectives and recommendations can aid that process tremendously,” she said.

The event was hosted by researchers from the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC), the University of Toronto and the Mico University College.