The Gender Gap in Education

The old gender gap in schools, where boys did better than girls, has been reversed. Now we need to address the problem's mirror image, where girls are beating boys by wide margins.
Published on September 30, 2006

Executive Summary

  • A generation ago, female students scored far below males in sciences, a gap that teachers, administrators and school boards have since closed.
  • Today, boys lag behind girls at school, especially in literacy and language arts.
  • In 1999, 9% of 20-year-old women had not completed high school, compared to 15% of 20-year-old-men.
  • Only 42% of university students are men, and the number keeps falling.
  • Today’s teaching styles are on balance better suited to the needs of girls, not boys.
  • Boys lack male role models at school, as few teachers are men.
  • Single-sex classrooms could help both boys and girls to learn better.
  • More men are needed at all levels of the school system.
  • Teachers must accommodate the learning styles of all their students.
  • Parents should have the freedom to choose the school that best suits their child’s needs.

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