The number of girls in England studying for a GCSE in computing has more than halved in less than a decade, prompting warnings about “male dominance in shaping the modern world”.
The sharp fall in female participation is due to government changes to qualifications which led to the scrapping of the old information and communications technology (ICT) GCSE and its replacement by a new computer science GCSE.
While the government’s reforms aimed to create “more academically challenging and knowledge-based” qualifications, the introduction of the new curriculum has had the unintended consequence of reducing female intake, according to new research from King’s College of London.
In 2015, 43% of ICT GCSE candidates were women, compared to just 21% of those taking IT GCSEs in 2023.
In numerical terms, 40,000 female students took ICT GCSE in 2015, and another 5,000 took computer science. In 2023, when ICT was no longer available, only 18,600 women studied computer science.
When asked to explain their reasons, the girls who chose not to study it said that they did not like computer science. They also said it did not fit with their career plans, according to the investigation.
Critics of the old ICT qualification complained that it taught little more than how to use Microsoft Office. In contrast, many students consider the new computing GCSE, which focuses on computer science theory, coding and programming, to be “difficult” compared to other subjects.
The study recognized that GCSE in computing has become more established, with 88,000 students taking the subject in 2023 and a four-fold increase in the number of A-level entries between 2013 and 2023.
“However, these successes have coincided with an overall decline in computer science and digital skills education in high school, particularly affecting girls, certain ethnic groups, and students from underserved socioeconomic backgrounds,” she said.
The report included a series of recommendations calling for urgent curriculum reform, better support for computing teachers, and a shift in the “current narrative around computing to focus beyond male tech entrepreneurs.”
Its authors warned: “The lack of women in computing can lead to greater vulnerabilities and male dominance in shaping the modern world.”
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Dr Peter Kemp, senior lecturer in computing education at King’s College London, who was lead researcher on the study, said: “It is imperative that we see action to encourage more girls to study computing at school so that they can develop the digital skills they will need. to be able to participate and shape our world.
“The current GCSE focuses on computing and developing programming skills, and this appears to deter some young people, particularly girls, from taking up this subject. “We need to ensure that computing is a subject that appeals to all students and meets the needs of young people and society.”
“All students should leave school with the digital skills they need to thrive in the workplace and society,” said Pete Dring, head of computing at Fulford School in York. “We need to reform the curriculum to include a comprehensive computing GCSE that provides essential skills and knowledge beyond computing.”
Maggie Philbin, to The technology broadcaster and director of TeenTech, which promotes digital skills, added: “At the moment, many students see the subject as ‘difficult’ and vote with their feet if they aim for top grades. It is time to take a fresh look at the topic and work with teachers to design a curriculum that is more engaging and that teachers feel confident teaching.”