Every year, as the GCSE, A-Level, and equivalent results are released, the newspaper headlines come out assessing whether “boys” or “girls” have done better than the other, which may be falling behind, and how the data from one year compares with that of the previous year. I meet this with great skepticism. All genders have their unique challenges, and as we fight for equality, we must do this in a way that sets each individual up for success and the best possible future. Whilst we need much more nuance and variety, as a lot of the data is currently presented in this way, I will be using part of it for my argument that young people’s ambitions should be put first in education.
Compared to their female counterparts, men aren’t encouraged (nor are they enticed) to apply for a place at a UK Higher Education (HE) establishment. The UCAS applicants’ data, particularly those aged 19 and under in 2024/25, showed that there were circa 44,000 fewer UK-domiciled men than women who took up their offer (1). Similarly, the 2025 A-Level statistics further proved that, whilst young men were (marginally) above young women, the latter made up 54% of all applicants (2), thereby showing that more female students are making it further into further education. Looking all the way back to assessments at 11 years old, Standard Assessment Tests (commonly referred to as SATs), girls outperform boys in all subjects, excluding Mathematics, where there is a difference of 1% (3). For context, there are consistently more men born each year than women (4). These figures also don’t reflect that girls are more likely to struggle with their wellbeing, including sleep and anxiety-related mental ill health, which has been suggested as a reason why their grades began falling since the pandemic (5). However, as we will find below, this is not a concern limited to girls. Instead, it reflects the need for each individual’s ambitions, skills, and concerns to be cherished and resolved.
This does not represent equal education. If anything, it shows that the media is looking at it all completely wrong. So, what is going wrong?
Instead of asking who is doing better, we need to track how far a particular student gets in education.
Whilst this is a debate that educationalists far and wide can contest for hours (if not years), in my view, it is the individuality of a young person’s education that is missing. The constant stereotyping remains that men should either go into ‘white collar’ jobs, or the traditional route into ‘blue collar’ ones, or even into politics. Whereas, when I ask my female friends which jobs they feel encouraged to go into, their answers continue to be nursing, teaching, or roles in the third sector.
I continue to believe that the promotion of campaigns such as Women IN STEM, FIA Girls on Track, etc, is beneficial and should continue to be prioritised in schools. Whilst I have not directly been involved in one of these programmes for obvious reasons, my view is that their success is based on the quality of the facilitators. The way they explain and interact with an activity with passion and enthusiasm will stick with young women and girls as they shape their career path and ideas. Looking at it with the same lens, given that 85% of primary school teachers are female, girls and young women are also subconsciously shown this as a career path, whereas young men aren’t exposed in the same way (6). Thereby, they naturally go searching for different career paths. With this comes major economic differences: male graduates, i.e., those who actually make it to university, find higher-paying jobs, a trend which only gets worse when we look at the numbers after leaving university, with a 31% earning gap ten years post-degree (7). On the contrary, 57% of those who are not in education, employment or training (NEETs) are men (8). Clearly, there are problems with both statistics.
This brings us to the all-important point of the role models young people view.
The examples presented for young people have been a hot topic for a few years now, particularly following the rise of online hate and misogyny. Quite rightly, we focus on finding positive online role models who can influence young people to become good humans. However, when it comes to those who are directly engaging with children daily, it is teachers who will make a lasting impression in their lives. As the previous figures showed, there is a lack of men in the profession. Therefore, I wonder whether a push for men in the aforementioned traditionally female jobs, whilst continuing the encouragement of women in traditionally male jobs, could help ease this divide, over time. This would show young people what is possible, in return creating ambition, not killing it.
Shifting the debate to mental health in schools and later life, recent polling indicates girls struggle with their wellbeing more in schools (9). Yet, when we look at overall mental health figures, specifically suicide rates, nearly 75% of those who took their own life in 2023 were men (10). This simply demonstrates that mental ill health does not discriminate; everyone is impacted by it. Interventions and, more importantly, preventative solutions should be tailored more towards the specific issue facing an individual. Meanwhile, we can challenge stereotypes in a similar way to the Hjalli model in primary education, where classic gender roles are flipped completely for the majority of a school day (11). Instead, what we are currently hearing is that 41% of sixth formers reported being taught that young men are problematic to society (12). Expectations and stories like these are what set society, not just men, up for failure.
The transformation needed should be based on purpose, reversing stereotypes, and good role models who present a variety of opportunities. As a society, let’s be individualistic when we support young people.
Education is what prepares the leaders and workers of tomorrow. Let’s reflect that.
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References:
1: Hillman, N. and Brooks, M. (2025). Boys will be boys: The educational underachievement of boys and young men. [online] Available at: LINK
2: Rufo, Y. (2025). A-level results: Why did boys outperform girls for top grades? BBC News. [online] 14 Aug. Available at: LINK
3: Department for Education (2025). Key stage 2 attainment, Academic year 2023/24. [online] Service.gov.uk. Available at: LINK
4: Department of Health (2013). Birth Ratios in the United Kingdom A report on gender ratios at birth in the UK. [online] Available at: LINK
5: Shearing, H. and Clarke, H. (2025). GCSE results: Why are girls’ results dipping? BBC News. [online] 22 Aug. Available at: LINK
6: Gov.uk (2025). Education and training statistics for the UK, Reporting year 2024. [online] Service.gov.uk. Available at: LINK
7: Bolton, P. and Lewis, J. (2024). Equality of access and outcomes in higher education in England. Equality of Access and Outcomes in Higher Education in England, [online] 9195(9195). Available at: LINK
8: Gov.uk (2025). Education and training statistics for the UK, Reporting year 2024. [online] Service.gov.uk. Available at: LINK
9: Wheeler, C. (2025). Age of anxiety: poll reveals teen views on stress, social media and school. [online] Thetimes.com. Available at: LINK
10: Office for National Statistics and Population Health Monitoring Group (2024). Suicides in England and Wales. [online] Ons.gov.uk. Available at: LINK
11:The Hjalli Model (n.d.). The Hjalli Model. [online] The Hjalli Model. Available at: LINK
12: Hillman, N. and Brooks, M. (2025). Boys will be boys: The educational underachievement of boys and young men. [online] Available at: LINK
Main image by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash.
Thumbnail image by Sam Balye on Unsplash.