Gender Differences in Education - Impacts of Educational Policy

Indirect policies:

• The movement towards equality in the workplace:

  • Equal Pay Act

  • Sex Discrimination Act

  • Equality Act

• Changes in Women’s position in society:

  • Divorce Reform Act

  • Availability of contraception

  • Legalisation of abortion

Education Reform Act:

• Introduction of National Curriculum

  • It is illegal to discriminate on the grounds of gender in subject choice

• Standardised testing and coursework

  • Girls’ improvements linked to GCSEs and coursework

• Marketisation of education

  • Girls as high performers are more desirable in schools

Boys’ underachievement- New Labour:

• DfCSF (2007) saw boys’ literacy rates as the largest factor in the underachievement of boys

• Reading Champions

• Raising Boys’ Achievements Scheme

• Playing for Success

Other initiatives and policies:

• STEM subjects

  • GIST/WISE opening doors for girls to get into STEM subjects

• Changed to linear exams

  • Linear- High stakes exams thought to favour boys- increased high grades for boys since 2017

• Removal of coursework

Evaluations:

• Jackson et al (2010)- Boys underachievement has been the focus of most policy

• The gender gap in achievement is closing slightly

• Recruitment of male teachers is still an issue (80% of education graduates are female)