Analysis of exam data has revealed significant and persistent gender gaps in the uptake of National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher subjects in Scottish schools and colleges.

Little progress has been made in closing these gaps since 2010 and in some cases they have even increased.

The Herald has compared data on male and female exam entries published by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). In 17 Higher subjects female students represent more than two thirds of the total number attempting the course. Young women make up 69% of human biology students, 71% of drama students and 75% of psychology students, but some subjects are even more seriously imbalanced. The highest levels of female entries are found in Higher Care (88%), Fashion and Textile Technology (94%), Childcare and Development (95%) and Dance (96%).

Male entries account for more than two-thirds of students in just six areas, most of which are STEM subjects. These are Design and Manufacture (67%), Physical Education (67%), Music Technology (72%), Physics (74%), Computing Science (81%) and Engineering Science (88%).

Similar patters are found at National 5 level. Despite different courses being available at this stage, male students still dominate most STEM subjects – they account for 72% of Physics students, 85% of Practical Woodworking students, and 93% of Practical Electronics students.

READ MORE: Was 2023 a wasted year for Scottish education?

Conversely, female students make up 72% of those sitting Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies (RMPS), 76% those studying Art and Design, and 93% of those completing the National 5 in Care.

At Advanced Higher level, where students complete work intended to prepare them for the rigours of university, male entries represent more than two-thirds of those studying Economics (68%), Music Technology (75%), Mathematics of Mechanics (77%), Physics (78%), Computing Science (80%) and Engineering Science (90%).

Of the 12 subjects in which female entries made up more than two-thirds of the 2023 cohort, only one of them – Biology – was a STEM subject, while those with the highest levels of female participation were Art and Design, French, Gaidhlig, RMPS and English.

Analysis of exam data going back to 2010 has also revealed that, in most cases, gender gaps are much the same as they were more than a decade ago. While Higher Administration and IT courses are now much more balanced, having gone from 80% female in 2010 to 59% female in 2023, most subjects have seen little, if any, progress in that time, and some have gone backwards: 24% of Higher Computing Science students were female in 2010, compared with just 19% in the most recent figures.

READ MORE: Data shows SNP has failed to close the attainment gap

In February 2020, the Scottish Government established a Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning. The group’s stated aims are to “identify measures to address the lack of gender equality which remains evident in education and learning settings”. The taskforce was initially chaired by then education secretary John Swinney and Razannah Hussein.

Minutes published on the Scottish Government’s website suggest that the group has met three times: in December 2020, May 2022 and August 2022. Documents for the most recent meeting show that it was chaired by Sam Anson, a Scottish Government official, and that discussion was focused on issues such as appointing a permanent chairperson, “reassessment of the existing Taskforce membership” and “clarification of the wording used in the recommendations and the theory of change model.”

Education Scotland has also established an Improving Gender Balance and Equalities programme providing a range of resources and information. Its materials were initially published in 2017 and were last updated in October of last year.

The Herald understands that the next meeting of the Gender Equality Taskforce is due to take place in the coming weeks and will be chaired by education secretary Jenny Gilruth.

A spokesperson for the EIS, Scotland's largest teaching union, told The Herald that the latest figures are "a continued reminder that we have far to go to ensure children and young people are choosing their paths according to their true skills and interests, rather than their gender."

"The EIS is concerned about the prevalence of sexist attitudes and a culture of misogyny in our society, including in educational establishments which negatively impact the whole school community.

"The EIS is an active member of the Scottish Government Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning (GETEL) and strongly supportive of its strategic goals, one of which states that young women and girls should be 'freely choosing subjects and areas of study, including those traditionally dominated by boys and men'.

"For this goal to ever be realised however, it must be backed up by dedicated resources, ensuring that the appropriate conditions are created in which children and young people can genuinely have a free choice unrestricted by gender stereotyping. Part of these conditions, given the stark findings of the recent EIS School Branch Survey on Violence and Aggression, must involve a whole-school approach that treats gender segregation of subject choice as part of a wider issue of gender equality."

In response, a spokesperson said that “tackling gender inequality in education is of fundamental importance” to the Scottish Government.

“We have taken actions to raise awareness of gender bias with parents, families and teachers at all stages of the education process – this includes providing resources to help teachers tackle gender stereotyping and unconscious bias.

“We will build on this through working with the Improving Gender Balance and Equalities team who are supporting long-term sustainable work in schools to address gender imbalance and promote equalities.”