Gareth Southgate: We need to teach boys differently to girls to get best out of them

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Gareth Southgate: We need to teach boys differently to girls to get best out of them37 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleGeorge SandemanBBCSir Gareth Southgate (second left) with Naz, Taylor and Rhys in MiddlesboroughThe way boys are taught in schools should be changed to take account of their "fundamental differences" to girls, Sir Gareth Southgate has said. The former England football manager told the this was needed to tackle the crisis facing boys and young men who feel isolated and are struggling with education, employment, identity and mental health. "I think anybody that's worked with either sex at a younger age knows there are some fundamental differences," he told Radio 4's Today programme.

He said to get the most out of young people it "might require a slightly different approach when we're educating and developing young men, compared to educating and developing young women". The 55-year-old has made a documentary for the examining how young men struggling to find work, particularly those who did badly at school, can suffer a cascade of problems later on in life including poor mental health and loss of identity. Gareth Southgate: Changing the Game for Young Men, which is released on Monday, also looks at possible solutions to the crisis, including older men volunteering to be mentors and encouraging more men to go into teaching.

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The lack of role models for boys and young men was something Sir Gareth spoke of last year when he gave the 's annual Richard Dimbleby Lecture. He criticised online influencers who were willing to manipulate and "trick young men into believing that success is measured by money or dominance". Sir Gareth met three young men struggling to find work in Middlesborough to hear their storiesSpeaking to Today presenter Amol Rajan, Sir Gareth warned of historic expectations weighing on boys, and the compounding effect of poor attainment in school, leading to behavioural problems.

"That's leading to issues of being employable," he said, referencing a recent study by former Labour minister Alan Milburn about the level of young people not in education, employment or training (Neets). That affects both sexes, he added, but said there were "particular issues for boys". Sir Gareth praised work to empower girls, saying "there's some brilliant work going on creating better opportunities for women" - and that trying to improve outcomes for boys was not a case of "either or".

"We've taken our eyes off some of the issues that men face through their lives and we have to start thinking about how we address those, as well as the issues for women and girls," he said. The Milburn review came out last week alongside official figures showing more than one million young people were Neets - the highest level in more than 12 years. Since the pandemic, the number of men aged 16-24 classified as Neet has risen by 40%.

By comparison, it rose 7% for women.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.