Boys' reading skills decline further

By ALAN PERROTT, education reporter

Lagging reading abilities among young New Zealand boys have dropped this country alongside Iran, Belize and Kuwait when it comes to the difference between the sexes.

The decline emerged from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), which was conducted in 2001 and involved almost 2500 9 and 10-year-olds from 35 countries.

In overall reading comprehension, New Zealand came 13th, sandwiched between the Czech Republic and Scotland. This country rated first in a similar study in 1970 and sixth in 1991.

There is concern over the results placing New Zealand near the bottom of the heap when it comes to the gap between the top and bottom students and between girls and boys.

While neither sex is in the dunce's corner, the gulf between their average scores placed New Zealand 32nd, below Bulgaria, Moldova and Singapore and nearly level with Iran and Belize.

It's simple, according to Professor Bill Tunmer from Massey University - boys just don't read as much as girls.

He said research suggested that everyone just starting school acquired basic language skills at a similar rate, but boys soon began to fall behind.

After a certain point, vocabulary development was driven more by free reading than tuition, he said.

"And boys don't read as much and there are probably a lot of social, cultural factors involved there."

To begin closing the gap, the professor called for a more flexible teaching approach that recognises that children begin school with a wide variance in reading abilities.

Sandra Aikin, senior officer of teaching and learning with the Educational Institute, said that the results reflected a long-standing situation, and blamed them on a combination of historic social factors, plain laziness, television and computer games.

Added together, they provided an environment that did not generate much interest in picking up a book.

"We have a whole culture which doesn't provide encouragement or role models to get more boys reading," she said.

There was far greater acceptance of girls spending time in passive activities such as reading, said Ms Aikin.

"No boy wants to be bullied or told he is a nerd, but if you aren't reading regularly, of course you are going to be outperformed."

Illustrating the range of performance by the New Zealand students who took part in the survey, 17 per cent of those tested finished in the top 10 per cent overall while 16 per cent finished in the bottom quarter.

But Education Minister Trevor Mallard said that the overall results were very pleasing and reaffirmed the work being done in schools.

"This Government is determined that all children, no matter what their background, have the right start in life," he said and pointed to a series developed on CD-Rom which is aimed at Maori and Pacific Island boys aged 7 to 10.

Auckland University's Professor Tom Nicholson said social attitudes would have to change to improve boys' performance.

"The old attitude of 'boys will be boys' isn't on any more," he said. "Parents have to change their expectations."

He suggested that if the gap continued to widen, there would be little chance of the country riding any "knowledge wave".

"If we have, say, 25 per cent of the population struggling with literacy skills, then that is 25 per cent less capability for this country to be one of the leaders in the world," he said, noting that boys outnumbered girls three to one in remedial classes.