The poor performance of boys in school is due to a lack of vocational training, conservative David Willetts claims.

The shadow education secretary blamed the gap between standards of boys and girls in state education on inappropriate training.

He said that vocational training would engage and interest this group, and a lack of role models contributed to the problem.

“Boys are desperately short of powerful male role models,” he said.

“If we can make vocational training more worthwhile this could help boys in particular who are currently so switched off from school learning.”