Progress in equality between girls and boys in mathematics mark a clear decline. This is the observation drawn up by a note published by theIEA in partnership with theUNESCOwhich draws on nearly three decades of data from international studies TIMSS. The 2023 edition reveals a worrying trend: boys are increasingly outperforming girls, particularly at the end of primary school, where the gap reaches levels not seen since 1995.
For a long time, the educational systems had succeeded in reducing these disparities, some even reaching a form of parity. But since 2019, the dynamic has been reversed. In 2023, the share of educational systems where boys obtain better results than girls reaches its highest level since the launch of the study, while situations of balance become a minority.
This development is not limited to an overall average. It cuts across the entire performance spectrum. Among the most struggling students, more and more girls are not reaching the minimum level in mathematics. At the same time, they remain under-represented among the best students. In the fourth year, no education system presents a significant advantage in favor of girls at the highest level, while boys dominate in a large majority of cases.
In college, the situation appears more nuanced but just as worrying. While some countries continue to show gaps in favor of girls, the overall trend remains in favor of boys, both at the bottom and the top of the performance ladder. In 2023, almost half of education systems will record higher results for boys, confirming that the phenomenon goes beyond primary education alone.
For the authors of the note, these gaps are not explained by differences in abilities, but by factors linked to the learning environment. Persistent stereotypes, differentiated expectations from teachers, girls’ lower confidence in their skills or even unequal participation in mathematics-related activities contribute to widening these disparities from the first years of schooling.
The Covid-19 pandemic has also made the situation worse. Prolonged school closures and disruptions to learning have had a greater impact on girls, increasing delays and weakening their self-confidence, a determining factor in success in mathematics.
Faced with this observation, international organizations are calling for a rapid reaction. They advocate for early interventions, from primary school, aimed at strengthening girls’ confidence, adapting teaching practices and combating gender bias in the classroom. The use of active approaches, the integration of fun activities and the promotion of female models in scientific disciplines are among the avenues put forward.
Beyond the classrooms, the entire educational ecosystem is concerned. Families, teachers, public decision-makers and society as a whole are called upon to act to reverse a trend which, if it continues, could compromise girls’ access to scientific fields and, more broadly, to the careers of the future.
Because beyond the educational issue, the question is also economic and societal: in a world where skills in mathematics and science determine innovation and development, allowing such inequalities to widen amounts to depriving societies of an essential part of their potential.
