A recent study found that boys account for six in ten young people who leave secondary education in Belgium without a qualification.
The study, conducted by the King Baudouin Foundation, Sophia and IHECS/ULB, examined whether gender influences young people's educational trajectories. It found that boys and girls begin schooling with comparable skills, but differences emerge as they age.
Boys tend to perform better in mathematics, while girls typically test higher in reading. The study claims these skill gaps are still widening. Several factors including upbringing, parental and teacher expectations, gender stereotypes and peer influence, can contribute to these differences.
The study recommended multiple ways that schools can promote equal opportunities in education. These include, but aren’t limited to, actively preventing prejudice and unequal expectations in schools, challenging stereotypes to broaden study choices for both genders and strengthening the relationship between young people and their school.
Women are also more likely than men to receive a higher education qualification. Among Belgians aged 25 to 34, 56.9% of women have obtained one compared to 44.4% of men. However, the surveyors stressed that gender alone can’t explain or predict educational outcomes.
Despite these observed differences, girls remain under-represented in several scientific and technical fields of study. They are more likely to choose programmes leading to careers in education, healthcare and social care, contributing to persistent gender differences in the labour market.
