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Boys will be boys
Scottish Accent (February 1997)
As teenagers all over Scotland file into exam halls to face the gruelling ordeal of prelim examinations, no doubt
many of them will be assailed by the sorts of doubts and recriminations we all remember from our own schooldays.
"If only I'd done more revision!"
"If only I'd covered all the topics!"
But if recent research is to be believed, around half of them could add another regret to the list:
"If only I were a girl!"
It has long been recognised that at primary school, girls progress faster than boys, and in the days of the
11-plus, the pass mark for girls was adjusted accordingly to avoid an imbalance of the sexes in grammar schools.
The justification for this was that as boys grew older and gained in maturity, they would eventually catch up -
and this is what is changing.
The latest School Leavers' Survey issued by the Scottish Office reveals that in 1994 51% of girls left school
with at least one Higher compared with 40% of boys. A breakdown of Standard Grade and Higher results by the
Scottish Examination Board shows a similar picture. Although the gender gap is most marked in subjects requiring
communicative and creative skills, even in traditionally 'masculine' subjects like science and technology, girls
are now holding their own.
Various theories have been put forward to explain this trend. It could be that because girls' career aspirations
have risen, they now set themselves higher standards. Or perhaps Equal Opportunities Policies, in particular the
push to promote girls' performance in science and maths, are having the desired effect.
On the face of it, this is good news. However, there is growing concern that the widening gap may also indicate
that an increasing number of boys are failing to realise their potential.
Professor John MacBeath, Director of the Quality in Education Centre at Strathclyde University, is currently
involved in a research project whose aim is to provide schools with information which will enable them to
improve their effectiveness. Focusing on children aged 9-15, he and his team have already amassed a wide
range of data on all the factors which may affect their progress, including gender.
"We're still in the early stages of analysing our findings," says Professor MacBeath. "However, there are clear
indications that a significant proportion of boys are underachieving."
His conclusions tie in with another piece of research he carried out for the Scottish Office a few years ago.
"We interviewed 10,000 pupils from 24 schools, and in each one we got a more positive response from the girls,"
he says. "More of them admitted to enjoying school, while fewer of them were involved in disruptive behaviour,
bullying or truancy. A lot of them also complained that their male classmates tended to monopolise teachers' attention."
Maggi McConaghie, who has experience of teaching in both the primary and secondary sectors,
would agree with his comments...
© Alison Thomas
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