Leaving boys behind? The education gap between boys and girls with foreign backgrounds in the Nordic countries

This means that the boys run a higher risk of not gaining access to the labour market and and if this process continues, will be at a greater risk of marginalisation. The price for poor performance in school can be high both for the individual and for society.

At the webinar, we will discuss the possible reasons behind the differences in school results and what we can learn from the neighbouring countries' school policies and what political reforms we should avoid if we want to help the boys catch up.

– It is a common Nordic challenge for us all to create better conditions for boys and reduce the education gap. All children must have equal opportunities for development and good schooling, researchers Lovisa Broström and Birgitta Jansson emphasise.

In addition to the authors of the report, you will at the webinar hear experts from the education system, representatives from civil society and teachers who work with pupils from foreign backgrounds. We will discuss what the situation is like in the classrooms and the differences between the education systems in the Nordic countries. Do cultural norms affect boys' views on studies and how important are language skills? What concrete measures should the countries take to help boys succeed?

Participants
• PhD Lovisa Broström and Associate Professor and Birgitta Jansson, Senior lecturers in Social Work at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden

• Asim Latif, Chairperson of the Nordic Migrant Forum, Head of Development at Foundation for Social Responsibility, Denmark

• Andrea Holmgren, Secondary Teacher, Sweden 

• Pamela Granskog, Councelor of Education, Finnish National Agency for Education, Finland

• Kaisa Kepsu, Project manager, Nordic Welfare Centre
Event moderator: Anna Jungner-Nordgren

Welcome to contribute with your thoughts and your perspective!