Boy-Girl Academic Gap Alarming

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority released a comprehensive ‘Educator’s Report’ based on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study of 2007.

“The global trend is that girls outperform boys, but what I see in the TIMSS Dubai results is that the difference between boys and girls, especially in Year 4 Science is very large,” Juan Manuel Moreno, senior education specialist of human development department, Middle East and North Africa region, The World Bank said, during a conference that brought together educationists to review the findings.

Dubai scored lower than the international scale average of 500 points in the evaluation. Students at public schools performed lower than their counterparts in private schools.

Fatma Al Marri, CEO of Dubai School Agency, said the study is a baseline to understand the education system of the emirate. “We came out with some really surprising results comparing private and public schools and girls and boys,” she said.

“This difference shortens when you look at Year 8 results, which means effective policies are in place at that level,” Moreno said.

The performance of boys at the lower levels pull down their overall score. However, the report does not specify if this result differs for public and private schools.

Moreno said a deeper analysis of the reasons at the family and schools level, awareness through public debate and investment in pre-school education should be the way forward.

Another area of concern raised in the report is the performance of students at public schools in comparison to their counterparts in private schools. In year 8, students in public schools were achieving at a significantly lower level, 130 points lower than students of other curricula schools.

Public schools only achieved a higher score in year 4, against private schools that follow the national curriculum.

UK curriculum schools were the highest achievers in both Maths and Science with scores higher than the TIMSS average.

Almost half the students following the National Curriculum failed to reach the low international benchmark in Maths, in both grades.

“We need to collaborate with private schools to share best practices and improve the standards at public schools,” Marri said.

Zulaikha Mohamed, Senior program manager of TIMMS 2007, said taking part in the study for the first time was a challenge and students of Dubai have performed better than many other Arab countries.

Students with better access to literary material at home performed better.

Osama Obeidat, an education specialist in Jordan at the conference, said schools should encourage students and parents to have books and a computer at home. “If not at home, the school should provide them with these resources.”

afshan@khaleejtimes.ae