Specialists in Educating Boys
Shortly following the NSW Government’s announcement that it would merge more single-sex public boys’ and girls’ schools into co-educational campuses, Tom Batty, executive director of the International Boys’ School Coalition, reported in a Sydney Morning Herald article that he believes boys’ schools must be part of the mix.
“It’s important that the head of the school, and the school, is doing something about the fact that boys and girls, on average, develop at different times, at different rates.”
Why? He points to clear signs that a significant portion of boys are being failed by the education system, including worsening problems with boys’ and men’s mental health.
It is important to remember that:
- Boys are three times more likely than girls to be quietly disengaged in their learning.
- They are twice as likely than girls to be at or below national minimum standard in Writing by age 15, with the proportions struggling to achieve that benchmark growing from an average of 3.9% of boys in Year 3 to 20.6% of boys in Year 9. (SMH, 2020)
- In coeducational settings, compared to girls, boys typically shy away from participation in creative arts due to social pressures. In a boys’ school, they are more likely to explore their strengths and interests, feeling more comfortable to engage in an assortment of learning areas, unrestrained by gender stereotypes or concern about being judged.
Despite common perceptions that boys’ schools allow toxic male behaviour to fester unchecked, Batty said boys’ schools might be better placed to address behavioural and wellbeing issues. Boys’ schools work intentionally for the needs of boys during key times of development.
A good boys’ education, Batty says, is heavily relational, helping students find purpose and be part of something bigger than themselves. In and out of class, boys’ schools can take time to provide experiences that build the relationships, respect, and trust on which boys thrive.
Boys’ schools have the capacity to target everything to the development of boys...you can use the strong relational base of boys’ education as a lever to be able to address negative behaviours.
“We don’t want a situation where [boys] are not actually given guidance on care, they just watch around and try and work it out for themselves.”
He believes boys schools are in a greater position to help them find things they are passionate about and to master them. They can take the time to know each boy, unearth passions, hone mastery, and guide him to choose engagement with, rather than separation from, learning.
At Mosman Prep, our staff are our most valuable resource. To be an exceptional primary school for boys, we diligently seek out leaders and teachers who are committed to working with boys. We steer recruitment and professional development towards staff skilled in learning relationships and the development of boys.
The most critical period of brain development occurs during preschool and primary school. Early intervention lays the foundation for a child’s mental development. A good pre-school (such as our Early Entry Program) and primary school has more impact on children's academic progress than their gender or family background.
At Mosman Prep, we specialise in the way boys react to situations and their peers, the way they interact with learning, and the way they process information.
Peter Grimes | Headmaster
