Boyhood Studies

[Diederik Janssen]

Conference on Gender Differences in Educational Achievement-
17-18 November 2009
Uppsala, Sweden

http://www.se2009.eu/en/meetings_news/2009/11/17/conference_on_gender_differences_in_educational_achievement

"According to the OECD PISA Study findings, there are considerable gender differences between the educational achievements of boys and girls. In Sweden, as in several other countries, girls achieve clearly higher average grades as well as having a better education completion rate. Participation in further education/training is also clearly gender-dependent – in Sweden women account for 60 per cent of students in higher education and two-thirds of those in adult education. There are also signs of increased gender differences in reading skills in the Nordic countries. Although gender differences vary between different OECD and EU countries, the trends for participation in higher education, for instance, are the same throughout the OECD.

The conference will deal with gender differences in educational outcomes in the final years of compulsory school (in Sweden years 7–9), upper secondary school, higher education and adult education.

The target group for the conference consists of decision-makers, international organisations and networks in the education area, and relevant public agencies and authorities. Several researchers and experts will contribute by giving lectures or presentations in special workshops. A programme will be presented in the near future. As background material for the conference, a Eurydice report will be produced: “Gender differences in educational outcomes: a study of the measures taken and current situation in Europe”."