The Danish government wishes all children and youths, regardless of their gender, to have equal opportunities to become as skilled as they can. Yet, there are big differences between boys’ and girls’ academic results. Therefore, the Minister for Children and Education has set up an expert group to examine the reasons for gender differences in academic results in the education system.

The expert group is to examine the impact of the form, content and organisation of the instruction on the pupils’ learning and general motivation. Furthermore, the expert group is to identify if there are factors that contribute to the gender differences even before the children start in school. The work of the expert group is to result in recommendations on how to reduce the impact of gender in day care, primary and lower secondary education, and upper secondary education.

For instance, the recommendations can aim at the following themes:

• Content and measures in day care;
• Pedagogy and didactics;
• The form and organisation of the education;
• The content of the education;
• The teachers’ knowledge and competencies;
• Structural conditions such as legislation or the organisation of the education system.

As a basis for the work of the expert group, the Ministry of Children and Education has completed an analysis on the academic differences between boys and girls and how they develop during primary and lower secondary education and in the transition to upper secondary education. For one thing, the analysis illustrates an increasing difference between boys’ and girls’ results in the mandatory tests in the Danish public school’s leaving examination from 2008 to 2019. The analysis also illustrates that more girls than boys complete upper secondary education.

The expert group includes pupils, teachers, pedagogues, headmasters, representatives of the social partners, researchers with particular insight and knowledge within the area, and other stakeholders with a special focus on gender.

The expert group is to complete their work and report to the Minister for Children and Education by spring 2023.

Source:  Eurydice Unit Denmark