Maltese girls are outperforming boys on A grades in O levels

Girls account for the majority of Maltese ‘A’ graders in 2019’s results for O-levels, a MaltaToday analysis has confirmed.

Girls shone in 10 out of 13 of the most popular subjects sat for in 2019, with church school candidates accounting for the largest portion of A grades in nine out of 13 subjects.

The analysis is based on Matsec data published earlier this month.

Official statistics show that boys account for a majority of candidates obtaining the best grade only in three subjects, namely Maths (50.3%), Physics (52.1%) and Computer Studies (72.3%).

A comparison with results in 2012 shows that girls have narrowed the gap with boys in mathematics. Back then, boys accounted for 55% of A graders; now they are slightly above 50%, reflecting observation in studies like Luigi Guiso’s, of the European University Institute in Florence, that say the gap in Maths scores tends to disappear in countries with higher levels of sexual equality.

While boys performed better in Maths and Physics, girls outperformed in Biology and Chemistry: girls are also more likely to sit for exams in these two subjects than boys.

Church school students, representing 36% of all secondary school students, were the main recipients of A grades in all subjects except Italian, where girls in state secondary schools prevail.

Significantly, church school girls had the largest portion of A grades in English (26%) and Maltese (36%) and French (35%). They also get the best results in Chemistry (30%), Biology (29%) and Accounts (23%). Boys in church schools account for the largest portion of A graders in Maths (27%), Physics (29%) and Computer Studies (44%).

Independent schools, which account for 11% of secondary school population, did not feature among the A grades in any subject, except for English, English Literature, Italian and French. But they accounted for less of 3% of A graders in Maltese. The best results by independent schools were achieved by female candidates in English literature – 19% of A grades.

On the other hand, state school boys were the least likely to obtain an A grade in all 13 subjects. Significantly, while girls in state schools account for 31% of A graders in Maltese, boys were just 3% of A graders. State school girls outperformed boys in all subjects except computer studies.

These results suggest the gap in top achievers between the state and private sector is much more pronounced between boys, than among girls. In fact, state school girls accounted for the largest portion of A graders in Italian and the second largest in English, Maltese, French, Accounts, Religion and Environmental Studies.

The PISA report of 2009 linked boys’ lower performance, particularly those from lower social and economic backgrounds, to a lack of interest in reading – on average they tend to be one year of schooling behind girls on reading, with the latter being more likely lovers of fiction.

The report suggests it is the difference between boys’ and girls’ approach to learning that matters, with girls tending to be more positive about education in general.

But apart from gender differences, there are also differences in social class, where lower reading aptitude is found in disadvantaged backgrounds.

“Without the ability to read well enough to participate fully in society, these students and their future families will have fewer opportunities to escape poverty and deprivation,” the PISA report warns.