The national trend is apparent: boys are performing less well academically than girls. Anecdotal evidence has suggested this for a while but national curriculum testing has now confirmed it.

It seems that, statistically speaking, boys do not consider worthwhile the kudos that attaches to intellectual excellence. This, of course has to be a generalisation but the evidence is there and the question needs addressing: how can boys be encouraged to regard academia and the disciplines associated with that arena as a suitable focus for their attention?

The genesis of the problem can perhaps be the mid-to-late twentieth century opening up of an increasing number of professional occupations to women.

In this age of gender equality women have continued to push back the boundaries that had previously denied them a place at the bar (certainly they could always be seen behind it), on the boards of universities and public companies (they were always encouraged to sweep them ) and the doctors' surgeries (although they could always take your pulse and wipe your brow). Women are sending the message to girls that the way to liberation (in the feminist tradition) is via the examination process and through intellectual pre-eminence.

Unfortunately, successful men are seeing their hegemonic positions being shared by intelligent, articulate and energetic young women.

This has led to a misogynistic attitude trickling down to their younger counterparts in middle and secondary schools.

The role models for boys appear more and more to be sporting personalities, the certain kind of street-wise character and the fictional creations of film and television. I have to say that there is nothing wrong with this kind of hero worship, but a problem arises when this sort of idolising continues into older teenage life and then into adulthood.

Reading is seen to be girlie and the pursuit of academic competence weak and unmanly. That men and women are not allowed to compete on equal terms in team games like cricket and association and rugby football never ceases to amaze.

What happened in the days of Kipling and Baden-Powell appears to have no more relevance for children today than does a cart horse on a farm.

But there are those who would say that if more horses were used on farms the land would be better and more wisely cultivated. There has to be a balance.

In my opinion the sooner this country sheds itself of gender related matters the better. We are all human beings, equal in the sight of God and each subject to similar needs and desires.

We must break this cycle of men being more physical than women and women being more sensitive than men. The macho image some (obdurate) men have of being superior to women and the complex that some (voluble) women have about being superior to men helps no-one.

Each of us has skills and abilities. It is no less right for a boy to excel at literature than it is for a girl to have ambitions to be an electrician.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.