In the UK, girls do better than boys from elementary school to university, per a recent study.

According to Cambridge University Press & Assessment, “the number of stages of education covered” made it the largest study of its kind.

More female students than expected, they discovered.

However, the study’s lead researcher, Matthew Carroll, noted that females’ “apparent advantages” “are not necessarily carried through to employment”.

He stated that “gaps in pay, opportunities and skill utilisation” are “still common in the labour market” .

The researchers examined datasets that were previously accessible to the general public, spanning from the early years foundation stage, which begins at age four, to higher education.

Researchers came to the conclusion that while the Covid-19 epidemic and educational reforms had produced upheaval, the “direction of existing patterns” had not changed. However, they did find that some male students had been disadvantaged by teacher-graded tests.

According to the data, arithmetic continued to be an anomaly, with male students outperforming female students and attaining the highest scores from early childhood education all the way up to the A Level.

“Achievement gaps led by women grew more significant,” stated the study’s principal investigator, Matthew Carroll.

The fact that the earliest gender attainment gaps are based on teacher assessments, which are known to favor female students, may suggest that early differences in perception sow the seeds of different educational experiences, which in turn lead to the differences seen in later external tests. “Male-led attainment gaps decreased in years in which examinations were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Young women are still underrepresented in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), Mr. Carroll continued, adding that “we need to figure out” the potential effects on the labor markets.

Read More: Click Here