NZ school retention rates and results

The following data from the Ministry of Education (1996) paint a picture of boys doing relatively poorly in schools. There appears to be no official concern, no media outcry. One wonders what the situation would be if the figures for boys and girls were reversed.

The table below shows the proportion of boys and girls that stay on to Form 7

STUDENT RETENTION RATES (%) TO FORM 7

……….……….MALE………. FEMALE

• 1975………. 15.4 ……….10.3
• 1980 ……….15.8 ……….13.4
• 1985 ……….17.9 ……….16.6
• 1990 ……….33.6 ……….37.5
• 1991 ……….37.7 ……….42.0
• 1992 ……….41.2 ……….47.2
• 1993 ……….49.4 ……….53.6
• 1994 ……….44.9 ……….51.8
• 1995 ……….44.4 ……….52.3

(from Table 30, p.51)

The Ministry comments:

"A closer examination of the growth in retention to form 7 shows that it is female students who have made the greater gains in senior school participation, to the point where they outstay their male counterparts. Historically, women have been under-represented in the senior school, but changing attitudes towards women and their role in society and the labour force have seen female retention rates to form 7 increase almost five-fold since 1975."

Against that apparent historical disadvantage of girls, however, is the evidence from the Ministry's own data (below), which show that if we define getting a basic secondary education as staying at school until Form 5, then boys have been doing consistently worse, in all years given. This is not deemed worthy of comment by the Ministry.

STUDENT RETENTION RATES (%) TO FORM 5

……….……….MALE………. FEMALE

• 1975 ……….78.1 ……….81.1
• 1980 ……….82.3 ……….86.5
• 1985 ……….83.6 ……….88.9
• 1990 ……….90.5 ……….93.6
• 1991 ……….92.7 ……….95.6
• 1992 ……….94.9 ……….97.3
• 1993 ……….96.0 ……….98.0
• 1994 ……….97.0 ……….98.6
• 1995 ……….96.1 ……….97.9

(from Table 31, p.52)

PARTICIPATION RATES IN SCHOOL CERTIFICATE (1995) BY FORM 3 COHORT (1993)

…………………………………….……….MALE ……….FEMALE

• Form 3 (in 1993) ………….……….25,659 ……….24,802
• Form 5 candidates (in 1995) ……….21,878 ……….22,068
• Cohort participation ……….……….85.3% ………. 89.0%

(from Table 35, p.56)

This shows that although more boys than girls in New Zealand started out in Form 3 in 1993, fewer of this group were candidates for School Certificate two years later.

SCHOOL CERTIFICATE RESULTS

YEAR 3 SCHOOL CERTIFICATE CANDIDATES 1995: PERCENTAGE GAINING AN A OR B GRADE IN SELECTED SUBJECTS

……….……….…….MALE …….FEMALE

• English ……….15.9 …….….31.2
• Mathematics ….34.0 ……….32.4
• Science ……….32.9 ……….34.8
• All Papers …….26.9 ……….32.7

(from Table 36, p.57)

This gender disparity illustrated above shows up, markedly in some cases, and without exception when the data are analysed by school type in the table below:

PERCENTAGE YEAR 3 SCHOOL CERTIFICATE CANDIDATES GAINING AN A OR B GRADE

……….…………………..….MALE …….FEMALE

SCHOOL TYPE

• Forms 1-7 ……….……28.5 ……….35.1
• Forms 3-7 …………….26.5 ……….31.4
• Composite …………….32.6 ……….48.9

SCHOOL AUTHORITY

• State (non-integrated) ….25.7 ……….30.9
• State (integrated) ……….27.3 ……….34.8
• Independent ………..….41.8 ……….53.9

……….……….……….……….MALE ……….FEMALE

SCHOOL GENDER

• Co-educational ……….….24.5 ……….28.6
• Boys ……….…………….31.9 ………...-
• Girls ……….……………….- ….…….40.1
• ALL SCHOOLS ….…….26.9 ……….32.7

(from Table 37, p.57)

The Ministry's only comment on these figures is most illuminating.

"Some variation in School Certificate results was evident between different school types []. This is, in part, a reflection of the differing background characteristics of students catered for at these schools. Both male and female candidates attending composite schools, independent schools, and single- sex schools were more likely to score an A or B than candidates from other types of schools." (p.57)

It is not thought worthy of comment that boys did universally worse.

Results for NZ University Bursaries/Entrance Scholarship Examinations in 1995 show that boys had narrowed the achievement gap so that there was no significant overall gender difference for the percentage attaining a B grade or higher. However, of the 26 subjects on offer that were sat by both sexes, a higher percentage of boys were awarded an F (the lowest grade) in fully 24 out of those 26 (cf. Table A19, p. 25. Statistical Annex).

In addition, proportionately more girls are leaving school with a higher attainment, and conversely, more boys are leaving with only School Certificate or no formal qualification, as shown below:

HIGHEST ATTAINMENT 1995 SCHOOL LEAVERS BY GENDER (%)

……….……….……….……….……….MALE ……….FEMALE

• Seventh Form Qualification# ……….34.2 ……….39.8
• Sixth Form Certificate* …………….25.8 ……….27.8
• School Certificate* …………..…….20.0 ……….16.2
• No Formal Qualification …………….20.0 ……….16.1

# Includes Univ. Bursary, Entrance Qualification, or Higher S.C.

* One or more subjects irrespective of grade awarded

(from Table 43, p.60)

(Note: None of the conclusions from all the above data are significantly affected by ethnic factors)

Source: New Zealand Schools 1995. A Report on the Compulsory Schools Sector in New Zealand; and Statistical Annex. (Ministry of Education. Wellington. 1996)

Name of writer withheld on request.

Prepared for the WWW by Stuart Birks, 31 January, 1997