Boys lagging behind: Unpacking gender differences in academic achievement across East Africa

Julie Buhl-Wiggers, Sam Jones and Rebecca Thornton

International Journal of Educational Development, 2021, vol. 83, issue C

Abstract: We estimate the current magnitude of gender gaps in literacy and numeracy in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, using large-scale nationally representative data of children ages 6–16. Using a household fixed effects approach, we document that girls outperform boys in all three countries; in numeracy by 0.03 SDs (Uganda) to 0.05 SDs (Kenya and Tanzania) and literacy by 0.06 SDs (Uganda and Tanzania) to 0.09 SDs (Kenya). However, the gender gap in achievement is highly geographically clustered, reversing in sign in some districts. In highlighting the heterogeneity of gender disparities in academic performance in these three countries in East Africa, this study show that systematic female disadvantage in schooling is no longer the norm.

Keywords: Test scores; Education; Gender gap; East Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I24 J16 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:injoed:v:83:y:2021:i:c:s0738059321000353

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2021.102382

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