Gender and the discourse of derision

Abstract The paper sets current public debates about gender and schooling in England into an historical and United Kingdom‐wide context. Once that work is done, the position is much more complicated than the mass‐media coverage would suggest. Attacks on English schools for failing boys are examined as a 'discourse of derision'. An agenda for future research is included. Keywords: gendermasculinityfeminismexam resultsWalesScotlandNorthern Ireland Additional informationNotes on contributorsSara Delamont Dr Sara Delamont is Reader in Sociology at Cardiff University