Gender Equality Education in the U.K - Essay Example

Gender Equality Education in the U.K Gender equality is such a sensitive issue and has received considerable attention in all parts of the world. It tends to address issues concerning men and women in various fields like education, job market and health, among others. It however focuses more on women as they tend to be the ones more affected when it comes to issues to do with gender, and in this case education. Education in the U.K has undergone many setbacks, impacting on the education system both positively and negatively. Our main focus of the essay will be on addressing the major developments in the education sector and how these developments have assisted in the understanding of both boys and girls performances. Due to the need to provide equal cultivation of different capacities, the United Kingdom formed a rationale of 11+ selection system where students were allocated to grammar, technical or modern secondary schools on the basis of test results, enabling students gain most from whichever school suited them intellectually (Newbigging, 2002: p.236-41). Provision of equal opportunities, according to Woods is the best option yet quite difficult to achieve. As mentioned by (Dore, 1976: p.161-67), the strategy is making inequality so visible that introducing a compensatory measure is regarded imperative. This acted as a basis of equal opportunities policy in western countries regarding the social class from the 1970s. (Wood 1987, p6) in his statement said that, ‘‘how do we cultivate something that is yet to be , let alone cultivate it equally across all persons?’’ As in the case of the 11+ examination in the United Kingdom, potential was highly prioritized over achievement. This was quite debatable because although boys were good performers in tests an equal number of boys and girls received allocation to selective schools due to the fact that boys were perceived to have a higher potential educationally, socially and economically for the future as compared to girls. This has resulted in an understanding that boys are better performers than girls. As performance was being equated with school and pupil success, the concept of gender gap had to be introduced in recent years (Halsey et al., 1980: p.49). According to gender gap, the ratio of girls and boys passing examinations in particular subjects are relative to the size and nature of the gender gap that differs with the subject(Booth & Bennett, 2002: p.17). The policies have reduced the gender gaps, though some still show a gap in favor of boys as in the case of science, technology among others; and in girls favor, humanities and languages and has made us understand why presently men still do well in the science subjects and women in the humanities (Brusselmans-Dehairs et al., 1997: p.93). Gender stereotyping is a key issue for gender and education. (Neimanis, 2001: p.13). The national curriculum secures an entitlement to all pupils irrespective of gender, class and social background and included a statement that expected schools to care for students’ diverse needs in learning (Thome, 1993: p.14-50). Teachers are expected to set high expectations and provide equal opportunities to both the boys and girls in studying subjects of their choice (Arnot & Mac, 2006, pp. 67-75). This way, students learn that anything can be done and there is nothing like science subjects and Mathematics are for boys and not girls; also, that women belong to the languages and humanities sector. This has impacted on the future careers of girls as they choose courses in the humanities and language sector and not physics and mathematics courses , being that the science subjects and mathematics are considered masculine (Howe, 1997, p. 10). This continues in the U.K, being more entrenched in the education system (Arnot M. , Gender and Education, 1996). In and out of school, pressure to conform to traditional behavior has persisted with women avoiding Physics and Information Technology while opting for English, Biology and History (Blair & Holland, 1995, p. 55). Challenging stereotypes in subject choice and career advice is important and staff are therefore to challenge stereotyping and raise aspirations in delivering information, advice and guidance (Coffey, 2001, pp. 76-80). Initiatives like the U.K-wide Women into Science and Engineering has encouraged women to choose subjects leading to traditionally male professions and vice versa (Arnot & Mac, 2006, pp. 67-75). It saw Max Weber quote that; ‘Of all the educational inequalities forming the terrain of policy making since the second world war, gender has shown the most dramatic shift, specifically in the U.K. The closure of the gender gap up to age sixteen and changing patterns of achievement in post compulsory education and training stands a testimony to this transformation.’ As a result, girls have been able to perform better than boys in Mathematics and science as from the 1980s when girls proudly turned the tide of credentials. Girls could close gender gaps in Mathematics and sciences, establishing a new female academic success pattern. In 1995, seven year old girls had a head start in mathematics with 81% reaching the expected level compared to 71% for the boys. 86% of girls performed than 83% of boys in science (Claire, 2004, pp. 3-19). The good girls’ performance in science and mathematics continued to the school leaving exams at sixteen, where girls equally performed well in the subjects. The percentage difference between the proportion of girls and boys at sixteen, achieving top grades in mathematics and combined sciences was 1% (Skeleton, 1996, pp. 23-26). Underachievement among the boys was initially noticed in 2001. (Parry, 1997, pp. 223-231). Then, girls outperformed the boys with 56.5% girls achieving 5 or more GCSE or equivalent passes at grades A-C or 1-3, as compared to boys who had 45.7%. Girls gained advantage in the years 2001 and 2002 with 35% of females and 29% males achieving Bs or better at A-level. The under achievement of boys was perceived in various ways, some feeling that the teaching styles used favored girls. The OFSTED however (Arnot et al, 1998: p49) said that; Girls were more attentive in class and willing to learn. They also did better on open minded sustained tests, process based, relating to realistic situations and requiring thinking by oneself (Arnot M. , Education reforms & gender equality in schools, 1996, pp. 50-62), while boys benefited from more structured and rule bound classes and girls preferring discussions, as well as collaboration (Bhattachraryya & Bikur, 2003, pp. 7-11). Underachievement therefore was triggered by emphasis given to course work in GCSE exams, poor quality literature aimed at boys and teachers relaxation on the boy’s standards. According to the department of education and skills, the boys’ underachievement is due to girls’ great maturity also more effective learning strategies at all ages. Girls also share information among themselves, as boys fall for peer group pressure against academic ethics while also possessing the culture of; ‘can’t do’ that results in failure (Aikman & Unterhalter, 2005). This gap on literacy gets established by the tender age of 7 and get ahead of the boys on reaching secondary school. DFES statistics for 2000 suggest that around 10% more girls than boys achieved level 4 in English with much more girls than boys getting to level 5. This meant that the gender gap was still larger in writing than reading and at 16 girls still topping in most subjects, which is almost the same as what we experience today. It is in 1996 that 4 times as many boys as girls were excluded from school and this even increased the number of under achieving boys in these schools. In the essay we have focused on various gender issues in education and their impact on student performance. It has been made clear to us why students from both sexes should be treated equally in terms of the subjects to be done and not limit boys to a particular group of subjects and the girls too. These stereotypes based on gender are the ones that have impacted much negatively on students’ performance in the U.K. We equally have seen how girls have managed to prove wrong the idea of them not being able to perform as better when it comes to boys and the science subjects. Therefore, it is important noting that every pupil whether male or female can succeed in whichever subject and direct their career to the direction they please. References Aikman, S., & Unterhalter, E. (2005). Beyond access : transforming policy and practice for gender equality in education Oxfam. Devlpt. Studies context , 62-67. Arnot, M. (1996). Education reforms & gender equality in schools. EOC , 50-62. Arnot, M. (1996). Gender and Education. New York: Oxford. Arnot, M., & Mac, G. (2006). Routledge Falmer Reader in Gender and Education. 67-75. Bhattachraryya, G., & Bikur, N. (2003). Minority Ethics Attainment and Participation in Education and Training. London: DFES Publications, 7-11. Blair, M., & Holland, J. (1995). Identity and Diversity: Gender and the Experience of Education. New York: OUP, 55. Claire, H. (2004). Gender in Education: a fresh approach. Produced for Association of Teachers and Lecturers , 3-19. Coffey. (2001). Education and Social Change. 76-80. Howe, C. (1997). Gender and Classroom Interaction: Research Review. New York: SCRE, 10. Parry, O. (1997). Schooling is fooling: why do Jamaican boys underachieve in schools? Gender and Education , 9 (2), 223-231. Skeleton, C. (1996). Learning to be tough: the fostering of maleness in one primary school Gender & Education. A Journal of Gender and Education , 8, 23-26. Thorne, B. (1993). Gender Play. Boys and Girls in School , 14-50. Read More