Despite the progress in the education system and diversity in society, gender differences still define most societies. To understand the different performance of students in education, Ward and Eden (2009, pg.129) argue that one should not overlook factors such as gender but also consider factors such as social class and ethnicity. Therefore, as Cahan, Barneron, and Kassim (2014) suggest, the perception that some subjects are for a certain gender results into gender differences. This paper discusses how issues such as access to education, subject choice, stereotypes, and gender roles in society play a role in gender differences in education.
I experienced gender inequality in education right from my first day in school. My family was particularly concerned with the choice that I could make and decided to have a choice I did not find appealing. I was to join a religious school, which was against my consent because I had ambitions that I could not easily achieve if I joined this school. I was aware that my dreams of pursuing politics, international economics, and learning foreign language had been crushed by the decision that my family had made. Conversely, my brother was allowed to make a decision that suited his interests in life. Additionally, there were several instances of a neighbor urging my parents not to take me to school or ensure that I was married as soon as possible, but my family did not adhere to such societal expectations. According to UNICEF (2015), 33% of girls in developing nations give birth or get married by twenty years of age, which limit their education ambitions, unlike the boys who often remain unaffected. UNICEF’s study covered sub-Saharan Africa and South and East Asia regions. Indeed, my education journey has been faced with issues that reflect gender differences.
Subject selection in secondary schools has been a major research subject for researchers studying gender differences in education. The Department for Education (2015) reported that for GCSE programs, there is a narrow difference in performance and subject selection between boys and girls for Mathematics with 67.9% girls versus 63.2% boys choosing the subject. However, English had a higher gender gap with 65.9% boys and 77.5% girls making progress in the subject. Moreover, more girls (71.4%) than boys (59.9%) attain A*-C in GCSE programs (Department for Education, 2015). Therefore, while gender gaps are wide in some subjects such as languages, the performance of students in Maths based subjects is almost the same. The stereotype that Mathematics is more common among boys than girls is slowly changing.
A study by Francis (2000) indicated that girls avoid subjects such as mathematics and science with a notion that these subjects for meant for males. Conversely, boys considered humanities subjects, art, and languages to be performed better by girls. As Francis (2000) explains, girls have caught up with the boys’ performance in sciences at the GCSE level. Thus, there is a need of giving the girl child an opportunity to venture into fields, which have often been considered as areas for boys (Quenzel & Hurrelmann, 2013).
Dawtrey (1995) argues that after the 1870 Education Act, the labor market has changed and requires educated individuals who can thrive independently. Movements geared toward empowering women have achieved much in helping encourage unbiased treatment toward women and end stereotypes on education and work-based performance. The intent of education for girls should be based on Ward and Eden’s (2009, pg.129) argument that education should ensure working class girls provide a workforce that contributes to the growth of the economy. Mensah and Kiernan (2010) assert that the education attainment of the children is based on the characteristics of the family environment. As such, the family and society should serve as the primary eradicators of gender inequality in the education system by encouraging the children to pursue their education goals regardless of their gender.
Indeed, gender differences in academic performance is still a critical issue in the 21st century. After all these experience in life, I realized that personal choice is what dictates ones future and not their gender. Subjects that were previously dominated by males such as sciences have attracted more females, while humanities have seen an increase in the number of males who enroll in them and better performance. For instance, while mathematics has previously been considered as a strength for boys, research has shown that girls perform better than the latter. Thus, although gender still determines the choice of subjects for students, the gap in performance is shifting.
References
Cahan, S., Barneron, M., & Kassim, S. (2014). Gender differences in school achievement: A within-class perspective. International Studies in Sociology of Education, 24(1), 3-23.
Dawtrey, L. (1995). Equality and inequality in education policy: A reader. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters, in association with the Open University.
Department for Education. (2015). GCSE and equivalent attainment by pupil characteristics, 2013 to 2014 (Revised). Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/399005/SFR06_2015_Text.pdf
Francis, B. (2000). The Gendered Subject: Students’ subject preferences and discussions of gender and subject ability. Oxford Review of Education, 26(1), 35-48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/030549800103845
Mensah, F., & Kiernan, K. (2010). Gender differences in educational attainment: influences of the family environment. British Educational Research Journal, 36(2), 239-260. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01411920902802198
UNICEF. (2015). Girls’ education and gender equality. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/education/bege_70640.html
Quenzel, G., & Hurrelmann, K. (2013). The growing gender gap in education. International journal of adolescence and youth, 18(2), 69-84.
Ward, S. & Eden, C. (2009). Key issues in education policy. London: SAGE.
