Higher-level divide between genders

Girls are more likely to take higher-level Irish and maths and continue to get better grades in most Junior Certificate subjects.

With much made of the improved uptake in honours maths in last month’s Leaving Certificate results and again in this week’s Junior Cert results, today’s statistics from the State Examinations Commission show there is still a big gender gap.

The results of girls are consistently better than boys at both State exams, in line with trends internationally, although there is evidence that males are making up the difference each year.