When praise can be punishment
GIRLS are being over-praised and given higher marks at school for their good behaviour – not for their ability – a major study claims.
And this is making life harder when they enter the jobs market, where rewards are primarily based on what they know, says the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
It said girls are more likely than boys to be model pupils. Their diligence and obedience in the classroom is often ‘rewarded’ with higher marks, while disruptive boys are ‘punished’ with poor marks.
It may mean marks reflect good or bad attitudes to studying, but not necessarily aptitude.
The OECD called on teachers to review their own ‘gender biases’ and consider whether marking girls up was really helping them. Andreas Schleicher, OECD’s director for education and skills, said that even when girls and boys do similarly well in reading and maths tests, girls get better marks.
‘Maybe in the short run you get a better school certificate,’ he said. ‘In the long run, the world is going to penalise you because the labour market doesn’t pay you for your school marks, it pays you for what you can do.’
The study, based on data from tests taken by 15-year-olds in maths, reading and science, looked at gender differences in education. The research also suggests that children who play computer games regularly do better than their peers at school.