Results of an evaluation of grade-10 teens in 740 Ontario schools showed a widening gap in literacy with boys performance dropping significantly from tests in 2009
Photo Credit: Radio-Canada- Audrey Roy

Literacy gap growing between boys and girls

A recent evaluation of boys and girls in grade 10 (age 15-16) across Ontario high schools shows a considerable gap in literacy.

It’s called the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)

The Fraser Institute which conducts school ratings says in 2009 the literacy gap was 6.6 percent in favour of girls.  The 2013 study showed a boys literacy performance dropped by 50 percent as the test results showed the gap widened to 9 percent.

Ontario is Canada’s most populous province with some 740 high schools participating in the OSSLT.

A grade 9 math examination showed a slight gender gap with boys having better performance than girls in 45 percent of the schools reporting, while 32 percent of the school showed a relatively equal performance.

Charles Ungerleider, an educational studies professor at University of British Columbia says, “Same sex schools are not the answer to the problem of literacy” . He says, “ I think there’s a responsibility on the part of parents, especially male parents, to show their kids how literacy plays a part in their lives.

Fraser Insitute Ontario high school rating

 

 

Categories: Society
Tags:

Do you want to report an error or a typo? Click here!

For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.