Why ‘societal norms’ are behind girls’ historic lead over boys in GCSE results

Teachers tell Maya Oppenheim that males eventually take over at university and in the workplace – plus, they say the class and ethnicity grade gap is worryingly even wider

The gap between the academic achievements of boys and girls begins in the younger years of primary school (Getty)

Men dominate all areas of public life with women woefully underrepresented in senior roles in politics, the NHS, finance, the law, trade unions, the civil service, the charitable sector, sports bodies, and more.

But these gender inequalities do not surface immediately, as the recent news girls have increased their lead over boys in top GCSE results demonstrates. The gender gulf in getting one of the top three grades – a 7/A or higher – has surged from eight percentage points in 2020 to nine percentage points this year.

The number of girls getting a 7/A or higher this year was 33.4 per cent, substantially higher than the 24.4 per cent of male GCSE entries. According to a report by the Centre for Education and Employment Research, the gap is now “extraordinarily large compared with the differences of the past decade”.

Catrin Green, principal at Oasis Academy Coulsdon, in Croydon, south London, told The Independent the issue of girls outperforming boys at GCSE level is historic.

“It has been happening since the 1980s,” she adds. “It is probably due to a huge myriad of societal norms. When you look at preschool children, girls sit down and read and boys go out and play. Girls’ vocabulary is already quite different at preschool age.”

Ms Green, a Teach First ambassador, said while she was talking in general terms, girls at secondary school are socialised to be self-disciplined and study when home, while boys are more likely to go home and play video games.

The headteacher notes the gap between boys and girls’ academic achievements begins early on in primary school with a difference in SATs scores surfacing at the end of primary school, where girls outperform their male counterparts.

“Girls start secondary school with an upper hand and engage more in the learning and understand it better,” she reflects. “Then they enjoy it more. The research suggests girls do more homework. The difference is boys catch up at university and overtake women in the workplace. The gender pay gap and wider inequalities then materialise across all sectors.”

But Ms Green, who has been a teacher since 2007, noted the grade gaps pupils of different ethnicities and from different socioeconomic backgrounds endure are far greater than the difference between boys and girls’ GCSE grades. “And they are much more concerning,” she chips in. “You don’t see that gap close later on.”

An analysis of this year's results conducted by Ofqual, the exams regulator, discovered poorer pupils in England who qualify for free school meals dropped further behind their more affluent counterparts in their GCSEs.

The increasing gap could be attributed to the “uneven impact” the pandemic has had on society, Ofqual says.

“While today will be a cause for celebration for many, we must remember that those from disadvantaged backgrounds will be far less likely to receive grades which truly reflect their potential,” Russell Hobby, chief executive of Teach First, adds.

“They simply aren’t given the same opportunities, and this inequality continues throughout childhood. It’s not their fault and it isn’t fair. To tackle this once and for all, we must prioritise investment in schools in low-income areas to build a fairer, thriving society – so every child has the chance to receive the grades that truly reflect their potential.”