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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Caitlin Cassidy Education reporter

‘Alarm bells’: why are Australian boys doing better than girls in maths and science?

Australia school students
Educators say there’s a need to change social discourse suggesting ‘girl’s don’t do science and maths’. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP

When Dr Joanna Sikora saw the gender disparity between boys and girls in maths and science subjects in a report this week, it wasn’t the gaps in year 8 that shocked her.

Sure, the girls in that year had gone backwards on the 2019 results of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (Timss), while the skills of boys remained steady and improved.

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