Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage more young men into education.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The department recognises that participation statistics indicate females generally have lower not in employment, education or training (NEET) rates than males in most years.

In the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, we set out a comprehensive NEET prevention package to reduce NEET numbers.

Local authorities are required to offer all young people aged 16–19 support to encourage, enable or assist them to effectively participate in education or training.

The government has introduced a new Youth Guarantee to ensure that every young person has a clear pathway into education, training, or work. We have allocated £45 million for Trailblazers in the 2025/26 financial year, with a further £45 million in 2026/27, to develop and test innovative ways to bring together local leadership and support.

The department will support the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university, regardless of their background and personal characteristics.