Girls Outperforming Boys In Both Junior And Leaving Cert Exams

Girls are outperforming boys in both the Junior and Leaving Cert exams and the gap is continuing to widen according to a new report published by the Department of Education and Science. 

The report, entitled Sé Sí, presents an overview of the issue of gender in education in a life long context - from primary school right through to higher and further education.

The report also shows a stark increase in the ratio between boys and girls who remain in education and who pursue further studies - with girls once again coming out on top.

Sé Sí also charts the issue of gender amongst education personnel over the past 75 years.

Responding to the new report, Minister of Education Hanafin said "we can be very proud of our achievements in education, particularly the improvements since free second level education was introduced 40 years ago.

"Today we have universal primary education, 82% complete upper second-level education, 55% enter higher education and a significant range of further education opportunities.

"This is indeed a remarkable achievement. In international terms, Ireland is among the top countries that have made most progress over time in improving the educational profile of the population."

Minister Hanafin went on to say "analysis of performance over time in both the Junior and Leaving Certificate examinations demonstrates that girls have consistently outperformed boys in terms of overall performance in the examinations.

"While this gender performance is not peculiar to Ireland, it does raise questions for families, society and policy makers alike."

"In the past decade a reversal has occurred where females now outnumber male students in higher education? This rapidly improving educational profile of women in Ireland has added significantly to the pool of skills in the labour market.

"Female graduates outnumber males at all levels of qualification from Certificate and Diploma up to Masters level.

"Only at PhD level are there broadly equivalent numbers of male and female graduates."

Women's greater lifelong enthusiasm for education is also evident in the central role they have played at local level in initiating community education work in disadvantaged communities over the last two decades.

Men largely confine their engagement in further education to apprenticeship, specific skills training and Teagasc agricultural training which are almost exclusively male.