The number of girls in England taking a GCSE in computing has more than halved since 2015 which could lead to continued male-dominance of the digital space and harm the UK’s aim to be a technology ‘superpower', according to this report by King’s College London.
The report highlights how fewer girls in England are studying computing at secondary school since the curriculum became narrower in scope and the authors call on the incoming government to take action to address the problem.
The report finds girls are more likely than boys to say they don’t enjoy computer science GCSE, it does not align with their career plans or it seems more difficult than other subjects.
The authors also warn some can be deterred by pervasive stereotypes about the jobs available that use computing or digital skills. When pupils were asked to name famous computing people, men, in particular the tech entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, dominated the top 10 list with only two women included – Grace Hopper and Ada Lovelace – both of whom are long deceased.
To ensure computing is a subject that appeals to more young people the authors make a set of recommendations including the urgent need for curriculum reform, improving support for computing teachers and changing the current narrative around computing to focus beyond male tech entrepreneurs.