UK: The trouble with boys

Article here. Excerpt:

'As the mother of a boy and a girl, Helen Trussler has seen a stark contrast in their fortunes at school. While her 18-year-old daughter Beth has thrived, she feels that her once-confident son Harry, 12, has been crushed by a system that is biased against boys.

“He comes home from school in tears, tells me he’s stupid, dumb and should be in special needs,” said Trussler, 44, a home help from Guildford, Surrey.

Harry attends the same state school as Beth, who has similar intelligence — and a serious lung condition. Yet she achieved five Bs and three Cs at GCSE, while his academic prospects appear bleak.'