The gap in attainment between genders in Jersey at Key Stage 4 – which describes the two years of education for pupils aged 14 to 16, ending with GCSEs – has jumped from around 7% in 2012/13 to almost 14% in 2014/15.
In the last academic year, when it came to achieving ‘five or more GCSEs or equivalent qualifications at grade A* to C including English and maths’, girls outperformed boys by a considerable margin. In 2014/15, around two-thirds (64.2%) of girls reached this ‘key indicator’ compared to around a half (50.6%) of boys.
The widening gap between boys and girls at GCSE level in Jersey mirrors the picture in the UK, although the gap at A-Level is far narrower and closing.
It has been suggested that boys are typically better at end-of-course exams while girls favour coursework and more long-term projects. GCSEs are currently changing and students will be assessed entirely on their exam performance from next year.
The Education report into GCSEs for 2014/15, which is published today, also reveals that:
– The percentage of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs at grade A* to C, including English and maths, was 57.1% – slightly lower than in 2013/14 (58.7%). The results were, however, four percentage points up on 2012/13 (53.1%).
– The proportion of students achieving grade A* to C in maths rose by 3%. In contrast, the proportion in English achieving the same grade bracket fell by 3%.
– The percentage of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs at grade A* to C, including English and maths, in Jersey in 2014/15 was more or less on a par with the UK. However, in English, 61.2% of pupils in Jersey achieved the A* to C benchmark compared to 65.8% in the UK.