Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Gender Disparity in Educational Attainment

Monday 6 September 2021 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government highlights improvements in boys' reading performance in England.
  • Department reports England's highest ever score in reading at primary level.
  • Government allocates 12 million for education funding for Afghan evacuees.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Nicholas Fletcher
Education Women & Equalities
Context

Research highlights that boys, especially in disadvantaged areas, read far less than girls leading to lower literacy skills.

Question

What steps is the Department taking to tackle gender disparity in educational attainment? Research shows boys are reading less and have lower literacy skills compared to girls. Does my hon. Friend agree this disparity needs addressing? Will her Department run a campaign encouraging parents to read with young boys?

Answer from Vicky Ford

The benefits of early reading for a child's later learning are highlighted. England achieved its highest ever score in reading at primary level in the most recent progress in international reading literacy study, largely due to improvements in boys' performance. Two thirds of mainstream primary schools have signed up for the Nuffield early language intervention supporting speech and literacy development in reception-aged children.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about running a campaign encouraging parents to read with young boys was not addressed.

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Q2 Nicholas Fletcher
Education
Context

Research highlights that boys, especially in disadvantaged areas, read far less than girls leading to lower literacy skills.

Question

Research shows boys are reading less and have lower literacy skills compared to girls. Does my hon. Friend agree this disparity needs addressing? Will her Department run a campaign encouraging parents to read with young boys?

Answer from Vicky Ford

The benefits of early reading for a child's later learning are highlighted. England achieved its highest ever score in reading at primary level in the most recent progress in international reading literacy study, largely due to improvements in boys' performance. Two thirds of mainstream primary schools have signed up for the Nuffield early language intervention supporting speech and literacy development in reception-aged children.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about running a campaign encouraging parents to read with young boys was not addressed.

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Q3 Anum Qaisar-Javed
Foreign Affairs Women & Equalities
Context

Media reports detail how educated Afghan women are burning their degrees, deleting social media accounts, and hiding identities to avoid Taliban retribution for education.

Question

What discussions has the Department had with the Foreign Secretary to fund schemes in Afghanistan enabling girls to continue their education? Media reports highlight that educated Afghan women fear Taliban retribution and destroy educational credentials.

Answer from Vicky Ford

The situation for girls and women in Afghanistan is extremely worrying; the Prime Minister will make a statement shortly. About half of Afghan children who arrived through evacuation recently are pre-school or primary school aged, and we have put £12 million into extra education funding to help these children access schools, colleges, and early years settings.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about discussions with the Foreign Secretary was not addressed.

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