Talkback

The gender gap is alive and growing in Irish education, writes BRIAN MOONEY

AS THE decade ends, it’s timely to reflect on the key role of education in shaping the Ireland of today.

Over the past decade, Ireland’s third-level sector has expanded enormously, leading to a situation where 44 per cent of all 25- to 34- year-olds now have a third-level qualification, well above the EU average of 30 per cent.

Huge social change is also taking place, as a growing majority of those securing third- level qualifications are female, especially in the 25 to 35 age group, where there is a gap of more than 12 per cent between the genders.

The gender gap is also evident at second level. At age 18, some 79 per cent of females are still in full-time education, compared with just 68 per cent of males.

Male students are much more likely to opt out of formal education.

Females are also outperforming males in exams, and they secure about 60 per cent of third-level places.

According to a recent ESRI report, the gap between the earning powers of the sexes is narrowing, with women making significant inroads into some traditionally male occupations. Between 1996 and 2006, women secured 42 per cent of managerial/ executive jobs, up from 32 per cent a decade ago.

These changes have been driven by the rising levels of educational attainment among all age groups, but particularly those under 45, and among females to a far greater extent than males.

Some questions arise:

n Is our second-level school system, with its chalk-and-talk- based liberal arts curriculum, driving too many males out of formal education? Could a more vocation-based, hands-on approach help to keep more young men in school?

Technology- and science- based education is very expensive, both in terms of physical resources, laboratories, workshops. As a nation we seem to view technological and vocational education as inferior to the more traditional Leaving Certificate programme. Can we change these attitudes?

n How do we deal with the disaffection and alienation that arises among young males who feel marginalised by the growing success of females in education and the workplace?

n How do we keep highly qualified women in the workplace while facilitating their role as mothers? If we don’t provide family-friendly employment opportunities so that women can remain in the workplace, we will pay a heavy price both as a society and as an economy.

n How do we as a society fund the expansion of third-level education? If we are to retain the growing standing of our third- level institutions, we need to figure out how we’re going to pay for it, so that the quality of education remains world class. Pretending that we can continue to increase participation rates year on year, without agreeing on how we are going to pay for it is a recipe for disaster.

Brian Mooney teaches at Oatlands College, Stillorgan, Dublin.