Sociology – Paper 3 – Education and inequality | e-Consult
Paper 3 – Education and inequality (1 questions)
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Recent data show a consistent pattern where girls achieve higher grades than boys at GCSE and A‑Level. The following table summarises performance in 2023:
| Key Stage | Girls (% achieving 5+ GCSE A*-C) | Boys (% achieving 5+ GCSE A*-C) |
| GCSE (2023) | 78% | 71% |
| A‑Level (2023) | 68% | 61% |
These figures indicate that girls outperform boys at both secondary and pre‑university levels. However, the gap narrows in higher education enrolment, where men remain over‑represented in certain disciplines (e.g., engineering). Moreover, socioeconomic factors intersect with gender, meaning the gap is less pronounced among disadvantaged pupils. Thus, while the data support the claim of a general female advantage in school attainment, the picture is nuanced when considering subject choice and post‑16 trajectories.