Girls taking GCSE computing rises for second year in a row
The variety of ladies selecting to take GCSE computing has risen for the second year in a row after a few years of falling numbers.
It comes because the variety of general college students selecting to take the topic additionally confirmed a year-on-year (YoY) rise and has been on the rise for the previous three years – 90,558 college students took the examination this year, in contrast with 81,120 final year, and 79,964 in 2021 – although the quantity did undergo a drop between 2019 and 2020 from 80,027 to 78,459 respectively.
But there may be a lot standing in the way in which of ladies selecting a profession in expertise, with obstacles to curiosity in science, expertise, engineering and maths (STEM) beginning younger, together with a lack of seen and accessible position fashions, destructive stereotypes surrounding the varieties of folks concerned in the expertise sector, and a lack of inclusive tradition in the sector in basic.
Agata Nowakowska, space vice-president EMEA at Skillsoft, mentioned: “Historically, negative stereotypes have led many girls to believe they lack the natural aptitude to thrive in technology. And while the increase in girls taking tech subjects at GCSE this year suggests some of these prehistoric attitudes have been squashed, evidence shows girls’ interest in tech continues to wane as they age, even once they’ve entered the working world. We can’t afford to let this happen.”
The progress in the variety of ladies selecting to take the topic is critical, from 17,264 final year, to 19,061 this year – a rise of 1,797.
But the variety of ladies taking GCSE stage computing has been fluctuating for a while – in each 2020 and 2021, the variety of ladies taking GCSE computing dropped YoY – from 17,158 in 2019 to 16,919 in 2020, after which to 16,549 in 2021.
Rachel Phillips, vice-president of UK&I at Okta, mentioned: “We all know there may be work to do in the case of growing variety in these finding out STEM topics in any respect ranges. As a girl working at a senior stage in tech, I’m extremely conscious of the necessity to enhance feminine illustration in STEM topics at GCSE stage and past.
“STEM subjects and related careers do have a diversity problem, and this needs to be taken seriously, as a lack of diversity in any industry can be crippling.”
An enhance in position fashions, a “systemic change to the education system”, and cross-collaboration between faculties, business and the federal government have been simply a few of the solutions made by consultants in the case of upping the range of ladies in STEM.
Much like for A-levels, the outcomes desk revealed by the Joint Council of Qualifications this year in contrast outcomes from years 2019, 2022 and 2023, omitting outcomes from pandemic years 2020 and 2021 the place assessments weren’t exam-based.
When in contrast with 2019, greater reaching computing grades have elevated, with 24.6% of pupil reaching at the least an A/7 grade, in contrast with 21.7% in 2019, and 64.8% this year reaching at the least a 4/C grade in contrast with 62.7% in 2019.
Girls as soon as once more outperformed boys in any respect grade ranges in 2023, with 30% of ladies reaching at the least an A/7 grade in computing in contrast with 23.1% of boys, and 71.4% ladies getting at the least a C/4 grade versus 63.1% of boys.
But when put next with pandemic years, grades have been slowly on the decline – these receiving at the least an A/7 grade in computing dropped YoY this year, from 34.1% to 24.6%, and the earlier year noticed a lower too, from 39.7% in 2021.
The present computing curriculum was launched in the early 2010s in an try to show youngsters from a younger age about important computing ideas akin to algorithms and computational considering, however as this year’s GCSE outcomes come out, many have requested in regards to the ongoing improvement of the curriculum going ahead, particularly with each the tempo of expertise change and the continuing variety and expertise expertise gaps.
Hannah Birch, managing director of digital at Node4, mentioned: “Despite the continued progress of the expertise business, and new improvements like generative AI and huge language fashions taking the world by storm, a enormous STEM expertise hole stays. In reality, 50% of firms are struggling to rent and retain a expert workforce throughout the STEM sectors.
“But I’m happy to see that the longer term is wanting brighter, with 11.6% extra college students, and a 10.4% rise in ladies, finding out computing in comparison with final year. As a nation that’s in determined want of those expertise, that is incredible to see.
“It will be interesting to see how the computing GCSE curriculum changes to keep pace with important developments in technology and what they mean for the roles available and skills required for a career in the industry.”
This will not be the primary time the computing curriculum’s longevity has been questioned, particularly since expertise is ever-evolving, as is the UK’s expertise panorama.
When it involves different STEM topics, there was a YoY enhance in ladies taking topics akin to engineering, maths, physics and chemistry, all of which noticed a rise in general college students selecting the topic at GCSE stage.
