Translating all school subject curriculum in a manner that speaks to boys practical interests could help them improve their academic performance.

This is contained in a research report on 'Namibian Boys: Underachievement and Underparticipation in Education'.

This is one of the issues teachers considered in the focus group discussions contained in the research report: revising the school subject syllabus to better meet the needs of boys, as they underachieve and underparticipate in academic education compared to girls.

Boys prefer a hands-on approach rather than the theoretical method of education; the proposal is for practical components to be enhanced in all school subjects.

This includes practical training in the form of field visits, tours, and money for effective implementation in all subjects.

Teachers argued that the educational system should not only feminise but also masculinise the curriculum in all subjects, with content that speaks to the needs of both boys and girls.

Another aspect was to include boy-related content in all subject curricula using approaches that acknowledge and address the diverse needs of boys, especially in a society where the absence of fathers from homes is common.

Additionally, the social sciences curriculum, like life skills, should include psycho-social support content for boys who are not normally attended to when they are depressed or going through emotional problems.

Moreover, the biology and life skills curricula should highlight and accentuate the male anatomy in their coverage to enable boys to understand how their physical sexuality could be mustered at a biological level.

Based on the discussions, this would also help boys understand sexual abuse from a male's perspective.