British Journal of Sociology of Education Vol. 28, No. 1, January 2007, pp. 5–21 ISSN 0142-5692 (print)/ISSN 1465-3346 (online)/07/010005–17 © 2007 Taylor & Francis DOI: 10.1080/01425690600995958 Getting boys’ education ‘right’: the Australian Government’s Parliamentary Inquiry Report as an exemplary instance of recuperative masculinity politics Martin Mills a , Wayne Martino b and Bob Lingard c * a The University of Queensland, Australia; b University of Western Ontario, Canada; c The University of Edinburgh, UK Taylor and Francis Ltd CBSE_A_199496.sgm 10.1080/01425690600995958 British Journal of Sociology of Education 0142-5692 (print)/1465-3346 (online) Original Article 2007 Taylor & Francis 28 1 000000January 2007 BobLingard bob.lingard@ed.ac.uk This paper focuses on the Australian federal Parliamentary Inquiry into Boys’ Education, Boys: Getting it Right, which is shown to be an exemplary instance of recuperative masculinity politics. The paper demonstrates how, through a variety of rhetorical strategies, its anti-feminist politics are masked and how the report works with essentialised differences between boys and girls. The argument is demonstrated through a focus on a number of the report’s recommendations, including the call for a recasting of current gender policy, the need for creating so-called ‘boy-friendly’ curricula, assessment and pedagogical practices, and for employment of more male teachers. The report draws on populist literature and submissions from the boys’ lobby, as well as practice- oriented submissions to the neglect of theoretically oriented and (pro-)feminist work. As such, the significance of the construction of masculinities to boys’ attachment to and performances in school is totally neglected, limiting the value of the report’s recommendations for improving schooling for both boys and girls. Introduction This paper focuses on the Australian federal Parliamentary Inquiry into Boys’ Educa- tion, Boys: Getting it Right, presented as signifying a pivotal moment in the enactment of a recuperative masculinity politics in the Australian educational context (House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Training, 2002). This report was the product of a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry set up in March 2000 when the * Corresponding author. Room 2/10, Simon Laurie House, Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh, Holyrood Road, Edinburgh EH8 8AQ, UK. Email: bob.lingard@ed.ac.uk