Girls outperform boys in learning proficiency – Data Reveals
According to the most recent government data, boys appear to lag behind girls in their ability to grasp knowledge and skills taught in school.
Despite the clamor from campaign groups and activists advocating for the rights of the girl child, data show that the boy child faces numerous challenges.
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics data on the country’s progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals paints a concerning picture for the boy child, who appears to be lagging in proficiency levels.
It demonstrates that girls are not only matching the earlier standards set by boys but are gradually edging ahead of them.
The data show the minimum proficiency level in reading and mathematics for students in Grades Two and Three.
While both genders have reported increased levels of proficiency since the 2016 findings, the improvement among girls is growing faster than that of boys, according to the most recent figures in the report.
In general, girls outperform boys in terms of proficiency.
Girls outperform boys in learning proficiency – Data Reveals
For example, girls lead with 43.6 per cent of those with minimum proficiency in Grade Two and Three mathematics, while boys are at 40.7 per cent, with a national average of 42.1 per cent.
This compares to a national proficiency level of 36.1% on average in 2016. While the percentage of girls increased by 7.8 percentage points to 43.6 per cent in 2018, it increased by 4.4 percentage points for boys.
The national average for reading in grades two and three has risen to 53.1 per cent, up from 38.1 per cent in 2016. When comparing the genders, boys have a margin of increase of 11.9 per cent, while girls have a margin of increase of 18.5 per cent.
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The national average for primary reading proficiency is 44.3 per cent, with girls leading at 47.1 per cent and boys at 41.6 per cent.
The boy child leads in participation in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) with 276,906 learners compared to 210,795 for females.
The increase in male students in 2019 compared to 2018 is 71,764, while the increase in female students is 52,083.
Girls outperform boys in learning proficiency – Data Reveals
