Dinari Samuel of St. Marys Primary School is the only boy in the top five performers at 2020 Grade Six National Assessments

School leaders here are continuing to address concerns about the underperformance of boys at national assessments.

Dinari Samuel of the St. Mary’s Primary School was among the top five performers in the 2020 Grade Six National Assessment. But the Ministry of Education said boys had again lagged behind girls in performance.

Samuel’s Grade Six teacher, Catherine Harris, says the underperformance of boys may be associated with society’s depiction and socialization of young men.

She believes there should be no separation according to gender in education.

Harris says a number of boys at the St. Mary’s Primary School have shown significant interest in reading, although their choice of reading content often differs from that of girls.

Harris says boys learn differently from girls, and gravitate toward practical work.