Female students continue to surpass their male counterparts in academic studies by as much as 20 percent, according to the Assistant Director of Education and head of the Testing and Evaluation Centre Lionel Sands.
But while girls are generally soaring above boys in their studies, the average national exam grade continues to be a ‘D’.
Encouraging gains in both writing and mathematic skills from third and sixth grade females were shown in the 2003 Grade Level Assessment Test (GLAT).
The examination, which is taken from the primary science curriculum in social studies, science and language arts in schools, is a national test that is taken by all students of grades three and six.
Female students are pushing far ahead of male students from grade three levels onward and have been doing so for at least the past 10 years, according to Mr. Sands.
“The examination results show that the females are doing much better overall in grade level assessment tests,” he said. “Females continue to edge out in front of the male students and we don’t know why.”
Mr. Sands continued, “It’s happening in the Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education examination, the Bahamas Junior Certificate and the also the GLAT. Just look at the awards presentations, females are always out numbering the males.”
Last year, 6,314 grade three students from 154 primary schools and 5,909 grade six students from 140 primary schools sat the GLAT.
Mr. Sands said this year the numbers seem to be increasing.
GLAT results categorize the students on an above average, average and below average scale.
Grade six females achieved on average 40.5 percent; while the males achieved an average of 29.9.
Females had better results at all three levels.
Students who earn an ‘E’ or ‘F’ grade are placed in the below average category.
“More males are found in the below average [category] than females and it could suggest that more males are at risk than females,” Mr. Sands said. “There are many factors that we can attribute this to, including the nature of our society in how we ensure that our girls do well and the fact the girls generally do better than males from a primary school level.”
He added. “We can’t expect to have a mean grade to be an ‘A’ or ‘B’ unless we lower the standard of the exam [or] select the best students to sit the exams.”
Yvette Rolle-Major, The Bahama Journal
