UK: Boys underachieving at school

Story here. Excerpt:

'But today's study says white, working-class boys are most at risk of underachieving. Of the 33,404 white boys eligible for free school meals, just 37 per cent can read and write properly at 14. This compares with 57 per cent of working-class white girls and 46 per cent of black boys.

Chris Skidmore, the Bow Group chairman and the report's author, said: "This study reveals the shocking underachievement of boys at every stage. If we want to raise standards in schools, tackling these problems early on is crucial - the half of all boys who fail at 11 are the same half of all boys failing at GCSE and beyond.'