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:

  • Illegal to discriminate on grounds of gender in subject choice

Standardised testing and coursework:

  • Girls’ improvement linked to GCSEs and coursework

The marketisation of education:

  • Girls as high performers more desirable in school

Boys underachievement- New Labour:

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

  • Reading Champions

  • Raising Boys’ Achievement Scheme

  • Playing for Success

Other initiatives and policies:

STEM subjects:

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

Changes to linear exams:

  • Linear- high stakes exams through 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 policies

  • The gender gap in achievement closing slightly

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