School Teaches Boys to Be Better at Math

The gender gap in math has long been observed around the world.  A study of 2.5 million French schoolchildren reveals that this is not based on what many assume to be fundamental differences between boys and girls.

The French government launched the study in an effort to improve math performance.  The study measured a child’s math and language skills before school began, then measured again after four months, and after a year of education.  The study found no difference in ability before school began, but after just four months of school the gap was considerable and continued to widen as schooling progressed.  Researchers took into consideration outside factors such as socioeconomics and family structures but these appeared to have no effect on the disparity. 

Interestingly, when schools were closed during Covid, the disparity narrowed pointing to evidence that the phenomenon is somehow related to how math is taught in schools.  The study opens the door to further research into why this occurs, and to develop methodologies to provide equal learning opportunities for all schoolchildren.

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