Old boys network helps men from private school — but not women
Sending girls to private school will not help them earn more but the old boys network is still placing men in top jobs with high salaries, a new study suggests.
Researchers at University College London’s Institute of Education (IOE) have been following 7,000 people who were born in 1970 to see how their background and education has affected their earnings and profession in the past four decades,
They found that by middle age, those with the best educations were in the best jobs. But crucially, simply having a degree did not guarantee a large salary.
In fact the findings showed that a child’s social origins — such as their parents’ profession, income and schooling — were far more impor- tant to their earnings by the age of 42.
Those who grew up with advantages, such as higher family income and a private school education, were far more likely to have made it into the top 15 per cent of British earners when they reach their early forties — defined as £85,000 per year for men and £76,000 for women.
Men who attended private schools were approximately twice as likely to be in the top income bracket than those who went to comprehensive schools even when they had gained similar qualifications.
However there was no private school advantage for women, even when they achieved the same results, suggesting that other factors were at play helping men into the higher salaried jobs.
Professor Alice Sullivan, the study’s lead author, said the findings may show that the “old boys network” was still helping men to achieve more.
“I think it’s a definite possibility because male private schools have a strong tradition of getting pupils into top jobs, particularly in areas like banking which are very highly paid and which male dominated in general.
“Women’s private schools, particularly in the 1980s, when these people would have been attending, tended to have a less academic focus and were less ambitious.
“Single sex schools for girls often had a different goals so women were not encouraged be in the same position in the jobs market as men.”
She said there was a danger that the children of parents who could not afford a private education risked never achieving their full potential.
“Parents with the necessary means are increasingly investing heavily in their children’s education, and the danger is that less advantaged children are left behind,” she added.
The researchers also found that gaining a university degree helped in securing a top managerial or professional position, such as a chief executive, doctor or lawyer, by age 42.
However, going to an elite university such as Oxford or Cambridge did not make any difference once degree subject was taken into account.
“It’s interesting that taking a law degree at a polytechnic appeared to be just as beneficial as an arts degree at a Russell group, which was unexpected,” added Dr Sullivan.
For both sexes, social sciences and arts and humanities degrees gave about twice the odds of a top job compared to no degree, but degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) and in Law, Economics and Management (LEM) subjects provided significantly greater advantages.
Women with LEM degree were seven times more likely to land a top job, compared to women with no degree. Women with a STEM degree were almost three times more likely.
Helen Wollaston, Chief Executive of WISE, which campaigns to promote women in science, technology and engineering said: “The message to girls, and parents and teachers is that getting a science, technology or engineering qualification can be tremendously advantageous.
“Women in the past have often ended up in gender-laden professions, such as caring, which are notoriously badly paid.
“However it’s interesting that this report suggests that private schools make no difference for women, which suggests in some professions it’s still a case of who you know rather than what you know.
“Traditionally women have been shut out of networking opportunities simply because they’re not in the locker room, or on the golf course, and we need to change that.”
Men with a LEM degree were three times more likely. STEM degrees provided men with four times the odds of securing a highstatus occupation, compared to men with no degree.