The gender gap in education refers to the fact that girls get better GCSE and A level results than boys in practically every subject
Girls are much more likely to go to university than boys
In 2022, 52.5% of girls and 46.8% of boys achieved grade 5 and above in GCSE Maths and English
The gender gap at GCSE has reduced slightly since 2019, when the gap was 6.6%
In 2022, girls were 9.9% points more likely to be entered for the Ebacc compared to boys
At A-level in 2022, 83.9% of exam entries by girls achieved grades A*-C compared to 80% of boys
Boys are much less likely to do A-levels than girls
In 2022, there were just under 60,000 BTEC entries for both males and females
43% of 18-year-old females entered university through UCAS in 2022 compared to only 32% of males
Girls outperform boys in most subjects at every level of education: from primary school to degree level
Five main social factors external to the school that explain why girls outperform boys in education:
Changes in women’s employment
Changes in the family
Changing girls’ ambitions
The impact of feminism
Differential socialisation of boys and girls
Changes in women’s employment:
The number of men and women in paid work is now virtually the same
Women have greater opportunity in the world of work compared to the 1970s
Decline in traditional working-class men’s jobs has led to a decline in opportunities for men
Improvement in female educational achievement can be explained by increasing post-school expectations for females and increasing probability of high-income occupations for women
Lack of high status higher vocational courses and qualifications in England and Wales
Changes in the family:
Changes in family life and structure mean it is more normal for women to start a career in their 20s
Dual earner households are now the norm
Divorce rates and rates of single parent households encourage women to work
Increasing independence of women has led to a more uncertain role for men in British society
Girls’ changing ambitions:
Sue Sharpe's research found that priorities shifted from getting married and having a family to getting a career and having a family later in life
The impact of feminism:
Campaigned for equal rights and opportunities for women in education and the workplace
Highlighted gender inequalities and encouraged genuine equality of opportunity
Differential socialisation:
Gender stereotypes disadvantage boys and advantage girls in education
Verbal skills are more important than maths skills in gaining a place at university, and females have better verbal skills than males
Personal level factors:
Teacher bias plays a role in why girls do better than boys in education
Students’ attitudes towards learning, behaviour in school, use of leisure time, and self-confidence are important reasons for the gender gap
Males are more likely to experience reading disabilities, antisocial behaviour, attention deficit disorders, dyslexia, and speech difficulties
Adolescent girls score higher in non-cognitive skills such as attentiveness, organisational skills, and self-discipline
Differential treatment of boys from infancy leading to the Male Crisis
Genetics models favor individuals in higher socioeconomic environments
False beliefs in genetics justify the plight of less affluent persons as less intelligent or not working hard enough
Female students in the same socioeconomic environments outperform Male peers collectively
Boys are treated very differently from girls from infancy by parents, teachers, peers, and society
Aggressive treatment of boys from a young age to make them tough creates learning problems and fear of authority figures
Boys are given love and honor feelings of self-worth only on condition of achievement or status
Boys turn attention to sports and video games to gain measures of love and honor not received in the classroom
Differential treatment creates lower academics and other problems for many boys
Girls receive continual positive mental social/emotional support and verbal interaction from an early age
Girls enjoy lower average stress for ease of learning and positive communication from parents and teachers
Girls receive love and honor simply for being girls, creating all the good things
Girls enjoy much freedom of expression and care from society
Differential treatment amplifies as the lower socioeconomic bracket is considered
Women taking over many areas of society leads to more lavishing of love and honor on women while men face more ridicule and abuse
Subject choice in post-16 education remains heavily influenced by gender in 2022
Girls and young women are more likely to choose subjects conforming to female norms and roles like performing arts and health and social care
Boys and young men are more likely to choose subjects aligning with male gender norms and roles such as physics and computing
Traditional gender-divide in subject choice has been reducing over time