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11 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 30 JUNE 2024 JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Girls outperform boys in State and church schools Males in independent schools perform better in English, maths and physics but lag girls in Maltese FEMALES sitting for their SEC exams are more likely to obtain better grades than their male counterparts. This is particularly evident among students attending state and church schools, where girls outperform boys by a substan- tial margin in most subjects, but this difference is less pro- nounced among students at- tending independent schools. As expected, students in State schools, which cater to a wider range of abilities and are more likely to attract students from disadvantaged backgrounds, do not perform as well as students in church and private schools. This historical trend is con- firmed in a statistical report published by MATSEC a few days ago. However, a MaltaTo- day analysis of results in four key subjects — English, Maths, Maltese, and Physics based on data published in the report — shows that Maltese remains a major stumbling block for boys attending independent schools. Regarding performance in the Maltese language, girls in state schools slightly outperformed boys in independent schools, even though the best perform- ers in this exam were girls in church schools, followed by girls in independent schools. Boys in independent schools were the least likely to get a Grade 1 in Maltese, with only 1.2% achieving the top grade and only 60% obtaining a Grade between 1 and 5. On both counts, they are outperformed by girls in state schools, 61% of whom get a pass mark and 2.6% get a top mark. The best performers in Maltese were girls in church schools, 88% of whom were awarded a pass mark and 6.3% were awarded the top grade. Girls from independent schools, 82% of whom passed the Maltese exam with 5% get- ting a top grade, did much bet- ter than boys from the same school segment. Girls do better in state and church schools Boys in state schools lag girls and were the least likely to get a pass mark in all four key sub- jects. The difference is most pro- nounced in the Maltese ex- am. While 61% of girls in state schools pass this exam, on- ly 46% of boys from the same school sector do so. Females attending state schools also outperform males in Maths, English, and Physics. On the other hand, boys from independent schools were the best performers in the English language, mathematics, and physics, outperforming their female cohorts in all three sub- jects. They were also the most like- ly to get a top grade in English and Mathematics. However, it is girls in church schools who were most likely to get a top mark in Physics. Girls in both church and state schools out- performed their male cohorts in all four subjects. Boys in independent schools performed better than their fe- male cohorts in English, Math- ematics, and Physics, but not in Maltese. Curiously, students in all co- horts are performing much better in English than in Mal- tese. Even among boys in state schools, while 66% got a pass in English, only 46% got a pass mark in Maltese. Moreover, only a small fraction of stu- dents in all cohorts managed to get a top grade in Maltese. This ranges from 1.2% among boys from independent schools to 6.3% among girls attending church schools. The Matsec report also shows that females in general were more likely to opt for the more difficult paper 2A which makes students eligible for higher grades then males who were more likely to choose paper 2B where students can at most aspire for a pass mark. Stu- dents hailing from church and independent schools were also more likely to choose paper 2A. 19% of males apply for access arrangement The Matsec report also shows that males are also more like- ly to request exam access ar- rangements (EEAs) than fe- males. EEA consist of assistance which enables students living with conditions to take the examinations while being, as much as possible, on par with other candidates. While 18.7% of males regis- tered for assistance only 11.7% of female did likewise. But the difference was less pronounced than in previous years. Two years ago, while 18.4% of male students requested these ar- rangements, only 9.3% of female did likewise. The difference be- tween the sexes is explained by research showing that boys are more likely than girls to be diagnosed with conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This dis- parity isn't necessarily because girls are less susceptible to the disorder. Rather, it's likely be- cause ADHD symptoms pres- ent differently in girls. But overall, 2023 registered the highest ever figure of re- quests for EAAs; 762 candi- dates and 15% of registrations. EAAs come in various forms according to the condition of the student and include extra time, rest periods, modified pa- pers, large print, provision of amanuenses, communicators and readers, as well as special instructions to examiners of oral components, invigilators and markers. These arrange- ments have made it possible for a larger number of students to continue their education. Students in all cohorts are performing much better in English than in Maltese. Even among boys in state schools, while 66% got a pass in English, only 46% got a pass mark in Maltese.