Across Sri Lanka, a quiet crisis is unfolding in classrooms. While girls steadily advance academically, boys are increasingly absent, disengaged, and disconnected from formal schooling. They are not merely skipping classes — they are retreating into digital worlds, nocturnal routines, and informal learning spaces, leaving behind the structured education system that once shaped the nation’s youth. What drives this growing disengagement? Is it changing family expectations, rigid school structures, or the lure of the digital age? Social, cultural, and technological forces are pulling boys away from school and therefore, there is an urgent need for educational strategies that address their unique challenges.
Introduction
Today, I received a WhatsApp message from my elder sister, her younger son is doing his A/L’s in a large, prestigious school in the capital.: “See, Loku boys no longer attend school regularly. The school principal has asked parents to ensure at least 80 per cent attendance so that students can submit their A/L Examination applications, and to attend the annual sports meet.”
Another example comes from my sister’s elder son, a Grade 13 mathematics student in a relatively rural school. Since Grade 12, he has not attended school. He stays awake at night attending Zoom classes or watching recorded lessons, sleeping through the day, and no longer participating in formal schooling.
I have observed similar patterns elsewhere. About a year ago, after returning from the UK following my doctoral studies at the Newcastle University, I collaborated with my Professor, Chris Haywood, an eminent global scholar in men and masculinities, on research examining why the number of young men entering Sri Lankan State universities is gradually declining compared to young women.
Moreover, many children of my university colleagues and friends — particularly boys — are increasingly absent from school. Many remain at home, sleeping during the day and staying awake at night attending online classes or consuming digital media. In short, boys don’t go to school. This growing trend - why young boys in Sri Lanka are disengaging from formal education at such an alarming rate – should be explored.
Why boys attend school less than girls
Boys’ lower engagement in school compared to girls can be explained through multiple, intersecting theoretical and socio-cultural frameworks. Alice Hendrickson Eagly, in Sex Differences in Social Behaviour: A Social-Role Interpretation (1987), shows that gender role socialisation shapes boys to be independent, competitive, and risk-taking, while girls are socialised to be compliant, attentive, and cooperative — traits that align more closely with traditional schooling norms. Contemporary shifts in learning environments further amplify boys’ disengagement. Boys from lower-income households face early labour pressures, limited parental guidance, and punitive school practices, while girls often benefit from targeted educational support. Together, these factors — socialisation, motivation, school structures, digital learning trends, and intersectional pressures — explain why boys are increasingly disengaged from schooling relative to girls, highlighting the urgent need for gender-responsive educational policies and culturally sensitive interventions.
Theoretical perspectives
Boys’ disengagement from school can be further understood through several complementary theoretical frameworks. Raewyn Connell, in Masculinities (1995, updated 2005), emphasises that boys are socially constructed as future providers, oriented toward toughness, self-reliance, and resistance to authority. This socialisation often renders formal schooling — with its emphasis on compliance, discipline, and delayed gratification — alien to masculine identity.
Bourdieu and Passeron reinforce this perspective by showing how schools privilege forms of cultural capital — discipline, conformity, and linguistic competence — that align more closely with girls’ socialisation. Boys, whose dispositions often favour autonomy and physicality, are consequently marginalised. Scholars such as Wayne Martino and Bob Lingard further argue that rigid pedagogies often fail to engage boys, while Selwyn highlights how digital platforms encourage informal, self-directed learning, which further distances boys from traditional schooling.
Statistical context: SL and beyond
Statistical evidence reinforces these observations. In Sri Lanka, primary school access is nearly universal, yet, gender parity now favours girls. Boys have higher dropout rates at the secondary level and are less likely to complete A/L education. At the university level, female students account for approximately 60–63 per cent of State university enrolment.
Globally, similar patterns emerge. UNESCO reports that boys lag girls in completion rates and academic achievement, are more likely to repeat grades, drop out earlier, and underperform. Importantly, these disparities are not due to the lack of access but differences in engagement and retention. Boys face stronger economic pressures, lower parental supervision, and institutional disadvantages within schools. The post-pandemic digital era, characterised by an increased reliance on online platforms, has further weakened boys’ attachment to formal education.
Boys are falling behind girls in secondary school enrollment and completion worldwide. In South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, UNESCO data show that primary school access is nearly equal, but that boys are more likely to drop out in secondary education. In India, the secondary school dropout rate for boys is approximately 12%, compared to nine% for girls, while in Kenya, only 65% of boys complete secondary education versus 72% of girls. In Sri Lanka, female students account for nearly 60–63% of State university enrollment, reflecting a widening gender gap at higher education levels. Similar trends are observed in Latin America, where boys lag behind girls in grade completion and literacy scores, demonstrating that male disengagement from formal education is a global phenomenon, not just a local issue.
Social and cultural foundations of disengagement
Ethnographic data, auto-ethnographic reflections, personal interviews, and my postdoctoral research with the Newcastle University and the Kelaniya University reveal a clear pattern: boys are increasingly neglected from childhood through adolescence by parents, schools, and society, especially compared to girls.
Boys are often perceived as future breadwinners from a young age. Across rural and urban contexts, economic responsibilities are placed on them early. In rural areas, boys may be expected to work in paddy fields, guard crops, or assist in family labour. From childhood, they face significant pressure — both direct and indirect — to earn money, creating lasting psychological burdens.
In regions such as Hambantota and Kandy, boys face verbal and sometimes physical discipline in schools. Male teachers may verbally harass them, female teachers may condemn their behaviour, and peers often shame marginalised boys. Simultaneously, the curriculum remains heavily exam-oriented, focusing on memorisation and recall, while boys are pushed toward income-generating activities.
Relative neglect in both home and school settings further contributes to disengagement. While girls receive consistent guidance and support, boys often face less supervision, encouragement, and care from authority figures. Educational systems tend to reward structured learning styles that align with girls’ performance, leaving many boys disconnected and redirected toward physical or labour-oriented identities.
Digital transformation and changing learning patterns
The rise of digital technologies has amplified boys’ disengagement. During the Covid-19 pandemic, many shifted to online and informal learning environments. Boys engage more readily with digital technologies, social media, and online platforms, which they perceive as dynamic and immediately relevant compared to traditional classroom teaching.
Prolonged exposure to online learning has reshaped daily routines: many boys adopt nocturnal lifestyles — staying awake at night for classes or entertainment and sleeping during the day. The increased use of mobile phones, social media, and streaming platforms reduces motivation for structured learning. Consequently, boys spend more time in digital spaces and less in formal schooling, which contribute significantly to declining engagement.
Conclusion
The evidence suggests that boys are not simply “choosing” to avoid school. Rather, they are being structurally and culturally redirected away from formal education through the combined effects of gender norms, economic pressures, institutional practices, and the digital transformation. While girls are increasingly integrated into educational systems, boys are gradually disengaging, raising urgent questions for educators, policymakers, and society.
Addressing this challenge requires gender-sensitive, supportive, and flexible educational strategies. Schools must adopt pedagogies that acknowledge boys’ learning styles, provide emotional support, and consider their lived realities. Parents and communities must balance economic expectations with educational guidance. In the digital era, harnessing technology to complement formal education rather than replace it may help re-engage boys and ensure that they are not left behind in the Nation’s educational progress.
The writer is a Senior Lecturer and the Head of the Kelaniya University’s Mass Communication Department
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The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication