Building go-karts, tinkering with small motors, repairing skateboards and bikes – these are some of the activities teachers at a Wellington intermediate school are using to help boys lift their academic performance.

Marks so far this year show boys at South Wellington Intermediate are achieving similar results to girls, particularly in reading and maths, says principal Mike Debney.

“We do things a bit differently, and think a bit differently about boys,” he says.

Teacher Andrew Cannell, 45, heads up the mechanics class, which was made official after many lunchtimes spent mending skateboards and scooters.

“Instead of me fixing them, [I] try and encourage the kids themselves to start learning how to maintain their pushbikes and scooters properly,” says Mr Cannell.

The students went from repairing pushbikes – and giving them to other students – to tinkering with small motors, which resulted in the go-karts module at the end of last year.

Mr Cannell believes it is the equal opportunities environment, rife with positive role models, that are helping to push the boys’ achievement up.

According to a 1999 Education Review Office, male achievement can be impeded if they are not provided with activities of unique interest to them – and the waiting-list of both boys and girls eager to join the class suggests the programme is a success.

Mr Debney says differences in the way boys learn and interact are being de-mystified by downplaying behaviour that is often misinterpreted as aggressive, and this attitude is exemplified on the playground.

“Seeing a mob of boys rushing round is sort of scary for some people, but when we look at it, we see they’re playing a game called ‘jail break’ or something, and they’re just having fun as boys, and we don’t discourage that at all.”

He says the ratio of male to female teachers at the school is higher than many other schools. Counting the principal, six out of thirteen classroom and tech teachers are male: “We’ve got quite a few males on the staff, so they do have a lot of male role models.”

He is quick to point out that gender is not the measure of a good teacher.

“I think the initiative needs to just be on attracting good teachers,  people that are dedicated.  And male or female can both do a terrific job, or they can both be terrible.”