Boys' education : why governments delayed

A number of studies have pointed out the under-achievement of boys in schools relative to girls across the western world, particularly in areas related to verbal fluency and literacy. Problems of boys' underachievement have been discussed in literature across the western world, and policies to redress that issue are now common. The article attempts to explain how boys came to be on political agendas by setting out some key developments in girls' and boys' education in the last twelve years through a theoretical framework of educational politics and policymaking. It asks why it took so long for boys' education to break through from being perceived as an educational issue to becoming educational policy. There is also discussion of the ideology behind policies on the education of girls and boys. The focus is on Australia, particularly New South Wales. The article ends by reflecting on some important issues remaining, and a comment on the roles of experts