Underachievement of working class boys needs urgent strategy
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Rushworth said: 'What concerns me most is not just the data, but the absence of outrage and lack of urgency.
'It wasn't always this way. In the 1970s and 80s, it was girls who were lagging behind, and the government rightly took action to improve outcomes for girls – introducing targeted support, challenging curriculum bias, expanding grammar schools for girls and promoting girls access to Stem (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths).
'And these were not small tweaks, they were deliberate strategic interventions, and they worked. Now that the situation is reversed with boys persistently underachieving, where is the strategy?
'I'm not talking about a general strategy to address deprivation or educational disadvantage, but a specific evidence-based deliverable strategy around boys and young men, which addresses the gender based aspects of underachievement.'
During the debate on educational attainment of boys, Mr Rushworth said a 'coded message in our current curriculum is that society values academic excellence over development of technical skills'.
He went on to say: 'I believe we urgently need a national strategy for boys' attainment – cross-party, evidence-based and rooted in fairness.
'It should invest in teacher training that recognises gender bias and engages boys more effectively.
'It should embed social emotional learning throughout the curriculum, especially in early years and transition stages, expand vocational and technical pathways, recognising different routes to success, promote leadership opportunities for boys in school life, and, most importantly, ensure transparent gender disaggregated data to hold ourselves accountable nationally and locally.'
He added: 'I don't want boys in Bishop Auckland or in Bootle, Barry or Basingstoke to feel like the system has no place for them. I want them to feel seen, supported and believed in, because when we raise the floor for those who are struggling, we lift the whole classroom.'
Labour's Helen Hayes, chairwoman of the education select committee, said there is 'a need for a strategic approach to this', but it is a 'complex' area.
She told MPs: 'We know that white British boys, black Caribbean boys, and mixed white and black Caribbean boys eligible for free school meals, have particularly low levels of attainment, as do those from Gypsy-Roma or travellers of Irish heritage.'
'Men still earn more on average, with the gender pay gap growing over time, so this is an area of policy that requires complex and nuanced consideration,' she added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Keir Starmer accused of failing in his mission to 'smash the gangs' as figures show only a tiny fraction of small boat migrants are prosecuted - as the Tories say the smugglers have 'never had it easier'
Keir Starmer was last night accused of failing in his mission to 'smash the gangs'. Figures show that just a tiny fraction of migrants crossing the Channel are being brought to justice. Since Labour 's leader became Prime Minister last July, only 446 people have been charged with any immigration offence, figures published by Parliament have revealed. Over the same period, a record 43,309 migrants have reached Britain after crossing the Channel in more than 700 dinghies. This comes despite Sir Keir vowing to tackle the illegal migration crisis by scrapping Rwanda deportations and focusing on tougher law enforcement instead. The number of those charged includes some offences not related to Channel crossings, so the number of small boat migrants prosecuted was even lower. There were 153 people charged between last July and this June with the key offence of 'assisting entry of illegal immigrant', which is intended to be used against those piloting each vessel, but Labour insisted the numbers have increased on their watch from 118 in the previous 12 months. Tory justice spokesman Robert Jenrick said: 'Keir Starmer boasted he would smash the gangs, but the gangs are laughing at him. They've never had it easier and crossings are up 50 per cent as a result. We're now heading towards being the illegal immigration capital of Europe. 'It's clear Starmer is incapable of stopping the boats and his backbenchers don't want him to. The country cannot go on like this. 'Those that arrive illegally from the safety of France must be swiftly deported so the message is clear: if you break into Britain, you will not get a life here.' He obtained the new figures in Parliamentary written questions after asking ministers how many gangs had been smashed since Labour came to power. In a Commons clash this month, he asked Shabana Mahmood: 'Can the Justice Secretary [Ms Mahmood] tell us how many individuals have been prosecuted for smuggling people in on small boats?' She replied: 'I do not have those figures directly to hand, but I am sure that if they are available, I can write to him with the details.' He accused her of not having 'a clue' about 'one of the biggest challenges facing our country right now' but she shot back 'had he paid any attention, he would know that prosecutions do not fall to the Ministry of Justice; they are dealt with independently through the Crown Prosecution Service'. Latest Home Office figures show another 1,387 people have reached Britain in small boats since last Thursday, taking the total for the calendar year so far to 23,891. A Labour spokesman said: 'Robert Jenrick can reinvent himself as many times as he likes, but he cannot rewrite history. 'With Labour in office, more people were charged with assisting unlawful immigration in our first year in government than in the entire time that Jenrick was in charge of the Immigration System. 'Indeed, we charged more people with that offence in our first three months than he managed in his last six. 'But much more important than Robert Jenrick's failures in the past are the ones he is making now, and we don't just mean screwing up this attempted attack story against Labour. 'If he was truly serious about prosecuting dangerous people smugglers, he would not have voted against our new law to criminalise people who endanger the lives of others in the Channel, and would instead be supporting us to take that action against those who cause women and children to suffocate and drown on overcrowded small boats.'
North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
- North Wales Chronicle
PM signals UK will help Gaza aid airdrop amid calls for Palestinian statehood
Israel said on Friday it will allow airdrops of aid by foreign countries into Gaza to alleviate starvation in the Palestinian territory. The Prime Minister said the UK will 'do everything we can to get aid in via this route'. Sir Keir meanwhile faces growing calls to recognise a Palestinian state immediately, amid mounting global anger over the starving population in Gaza. Some 221 MPs from Labour, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, SNP, Greens, Plaid Cymru, SDLP and independents, have signed a letter calling on the Government to take the step at a UN meeting next week. France's president Emmanuel Macron announced his nation would formally recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September, leading UK politicians to question whether the British Government would follow suit. US President Donald Trump suggested Mr Macron's announcement 'doesn't matter' as he left America for a visit to Scotland. But Sarah Champion, the senior Labour MP who organised the letter by parliamentarians, said recognition 'would send a powerful symbolic message that we support the rights of the Palestinian people'. Other senior Commons figures who signed the letter include Labour select committee chairs Liam Byrne, Dame Emily Thornberry and Ruth Cadbury. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, as well as Tory former minister Kit Malthouse, and Sir Edward Leigh – Parliament's longest-serving MP – also signed it. The majority of those who have signed, 131, are Labour MPs. In a video statement released on Friday, Sir Keir made plain his desire for a ceasefire in the war. He said: 'I know the British people are sickened by what is happening. The images of starvation and desperation are utterly horrifying. 'The denial of aid to children and babies is completely unjustifiable, just as the continued captivity of hostages is completely unjustifiable.' The appalling scenes in Gaza are unrelenting. The UK will pull every lever we have to get food and lifesaving support to Palestinians, and we will evacuate children who need urgent medical assistance. This humanitarian catastrophe must end. — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) July 25, 2025 Signalling the UK is willing to help get aid into Gaza via air, the Prime Minister added: 'News that Israel will allow countries to airdrop aid into Gaza has come far too late, but we will do everything we can to get aid in via this route. 'We are already working urgently with the Jordanian authorities to get British aid on to planes and into Gaza.' Children who need specialist medical treatment will be evacuated from Gaza to the UK, Sir Keir added. The Prime Minister also called for an international coalition to 'end the suffering' in Gaza, similar to the coalition of the willing aimed at helping Ukraine. Sir Keir had earlier responded to calls for the recognition of a Palestinian state, insisting such a move needed to be part of the 'pathway' to peace in the Middle East, which he and allies are working towards. He added: 'Recognition of a Palestinian state has to be one of those steps. I am unequivocal about that. But it must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis.' In a statement released on Friday alongside the leaders of France and Germany, the Prime Minister urged Israel to stop restricting the flow of aid into Gaza. Charities operating in Gaza have said Israel's blockade and ongoing military offensive are pushing people there towards starvation, warning that they are seeing their own workers and Palestinians 'waste away'. The Prime Minister will meet the US president during his trip to Scotland, where he arrived on Friday evening. US-led peace talks in Qatar were cut short on Thursday, with Washington's special envoy Steve Witkoff accusing Hamas of a 'lack of desire to reach a ceasefire'. The deal under discussion is expected to include a 60-day ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Aid supplies would be ramped up and the two sides would hold negotiations on a lasting truce.
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Former Sun editor lined up to be Starmer's communications chief
Sir Keir Starmer has appointed the former editor of The Sun to one of the most senior government communications jobs. David Dinsmore is set to take up the new position of permanent secretary for communications, having seen off several other experienced candidates. The Prime Minister interviewed those who made the final shortlist and was said to have been impressed with Mr Dinsmore's understanding of modern communication challenges. He will be a Civil Service appointment rather than a political adviser, and be tasked with improving the Government's vast communications operation. There are currently some 7,000 government communications officers, roughly one for every 5,000 voters across the UK. His appointment comes at a time when Labour's ability to communicate with the country is being questioned after sinking in the opinion polls after a year in office. Labour swept into power on 34 per cent of the vote last summer but now sits on 22 per cent in average polls. Meanwhile Nigel Farage's Reform has surged into the lead on 28 per cent. Mr Dinsmore was editor of The Sun from 2013 to 2015. He started journalism as a reporter on The Scottish Sun aged 22 in 1990 and rose to become its editor in 2006. He is still at News UK, which is owned by the Australian media mogul Rupert Murdoch, where he has been chief operating officer for the past decade. His appointment is the latest example of senior tabloid journalists moving across to help a Prime Minister with communications. Andy Coulson, the former editor of the News of the World, helped Lord Cameron in Opposition and then Downing Street before leaving amid the scrutiny of the phone hacking scandal. Alastair Campbell was political editor of the Daily Mirror before he became Sir Tony Blair's most senior communications adviser, becoming one of the most influential figures in his premiership. Mr Dinsmore's links to The Sun could trigger criticism from some figures in the Labour coalition, especially those in Liverpool, where many residents still boycott the paper over its coverage of the Hillsborough stadium disaster in 1989. Labour's annual party conference will be held in Liverpool this autumn. A Labour MP, when told the news, predicted: 'A lot of people will be unhappy with that appointment, especially in Liverpool.' In 2014, Mr Dinsmore, then still Sun editor, was named 'sexist of the year' after a poll run by a feminist campaigning coalition called End Violence Against Women. The Sun was at the time still publishing photographs of topless women each day on page three of the newspaper. Yet Sir Keir and Morgan McSweeney, his influential chief of staff, are said to have been impressed by Mr Dinsmore's understanding of today's communications landscape. He will be given permission to plot a complete overhaul of government communications, looking at how to land messages in a fracturing media world where social media is becoming ever more popular. The creation of the new role was months in the making, and not a direct reaction to recent upheavals, such as the gutting of a welfare cuts package after a major Labour Party rebellion. Sir Keir is said to have voiced concerns about how government communications was working late last year. Mr Dinsmore's appointment means that Tim Allan, a former Number 10 director of communications who served under Sir Tony, will not be brought in with a formal position. The Sunday Times reported last weekend that he was in the running for the newly created role. But it is understood ultimately Mr Allen did not put his name forward.
