23rd July 2013 9:00
By Blue Tutors
Figures released this week reveal that girls who take the skills-based science BTEC out-perform boys, despite the fact that girls are significantly numbered by boys on the courses. Pearson, the organisation which administrates the BTEC in skills-based science, said that when girls do opt for the course, they tend to do extremely well. The number of applications from girls is now growing, but there remains a significant disparity in the numbers of boys and girls on the course. The BTEC, which is taken alongside GCSEs, currently has just 5% of girls taking the course, which is a significant rise from last year.
Despite the low numbers of girls taking the course, 37% of girls achieved a distinction compared with just 20% of boys. The statistics are similar for girls taking other subjects, including IT and engineering, where, whilst there are very few girls taking the courses, they still out perform boys. In Engineering, the course has just 4% girls, but 14% of them achieved a distinction compared with 9% of boys which make up the majority of the students. In recent years IT has managed to attract more female students with girls making up 38% of the cohort, the majority of whom achieve a distinction for the course.
The statistics have renewed concerns about the number of women entering science and technology, with students and educators calling for the government and businesses to do more to attract female students and graduates. Anna Douglas who heads the applied sciences department at City and Islington College, said that a key way to encourage girls into sciences is through female role models in science subjects. The group Women into Science and Engineering released a statement to say that the results indicate that girls can produce excellent results in science and technology, and should be encouraged into these subjects.