Reforming boys’ education in Tonga

In Tonga, increasing attention is being paid to boys’ underperformance and disengagement in school, their involvement in crime and high levels of unemployment.

To better understand the complexity surrounding these social issues, COL undertook a study on the underachievement of boys in Tonga to investigate factors affecting boys’ participation, performance and learning outcomes in school. The study is crucial for developing intervention strategies, promoting gender equality and attaining better learning outcomes for boys.

The researchers engaged over 450 stakeholders through surveys and interviews with parents, teachers, boys, community members and staff of the Ministry for Education and Training. The results highlight the need to continually assess how gender equality plays out as society evolves and how to be diligent in actively engaging all stakeholders.