Petrina Francis, Education Reporter

Managing director of Sangsters' book stores reads to patients at the Paediatric ward of the Spanish Town Hospital

As is the case at most levels of the education system, girls continue to outperform boys at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level, in most subject areas.

Wesley Barrett, pro-registrar for the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC), says boys learn differently and interventions will have to be put in place to address this problem, if they are to perform on par with girls.

"I feel that there is a psychology in teaching boys which is slightly different from the psychology of teaching girls, particularly in certain subject areas," said Mr. Barrett.

He noted that boys are more 'hands-on' and like to explore. Generally speaking, he said they are less conservative than females, and that needs to be taken in account when delivering lessons in the classrooms.

What needs to be done?

The pro-registrar says the method of teaching boys will have to be addressed in teachers' colleges and universities.

"We should be providing more materials for males and females to work with so they can manipulate and develop the concepts," he said.

Here are some recent examination results for males and females who attained grades one to three in the CSEC:

English Language

Males	38	per cent
Females	50	per cent
English Literature Males	33	per cent
Females	49	per cent
Geography Males	51	per cent
Females	55	per cent
Information Technology (General) Males	57	per cent
Females	75	per cent
Integrated Science Males	69	per cent
Females	71	per cent
Principles of Accounts Males	62	per cent
Females	69	per cent
Boys performed better than girls in Mathematics and Information Technology (Technical) Mathematics Males	34	per cent
Females	30	per cent
Information Technology (Technical) Males	57	per cent
Females	56	per cent

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