Gender differences in educational outcomes A study of the measures taken and the current situation in Europe

Gender patterns in educational attainment Girls usually obtain higher grades and higher pass rates in school leaving examinations Boys pre-dominate among early school leavers and grade repeaters

Early school leavers Source: Eurostat (data extracted September 2009) FemalesMales Percentage of year-olds who have lower secondary education at most and are not in further education or training, 2007

Boys are more likely to be poor performers in reading, girls in mathematics Gender is one of the factors that affect achievement BUT: Socio-economic status is a much stronger factor Gender patterns in educational attainment

Gender-sensitive career guidance is focused on girls Gender-sensitive career guidance exists No specific career guidance Data not available Source: Eurydice

Gender equality issues in higher education Still gender-biased choice of study fields: ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ disciplines Under-representation of women in higher academic positions

Policies/projects targeting the glass ceiling choice of studies No gender equality policies in higher education Data not available Source: Eurydice Gender equality policies or projects in higher education

Conclusion Many individual initiatives in European countries BUT: lack of overall strategies in many countries Europe 2020: Gender must be taken into account