What assessment has the Minister made of the differences in educational outcomes between boys and girls in Wales?
The most recent statistical release for examination results in Wales for 2022/23 academic year shows the overall gender gap for GCSE in Wales at A*-C is broadly in line with the long-term trend. For A Levels, the gap between females and males awarded grades A*-C fluctuates over the historic time series (between 2015/16 and 2022/23).
In the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022, boys scored higher than girls in Maths and boys scored higher than girls in reading. This reflects the pattern seen on average across the OECD and in all other UK nations.
Gender difference is neither a new phenomenon nor one unique to Wales but I recognise there is still work to be done to tackle the gender attainment gap. This is an important issue and remains a concern, and we will continue to identify ways to address this gender difference including through consideration of a range of assessment methodologies.