Overview

• Analysis of 2.7 million French students who started school from 2018 to 2021 found boys and girls begin with similar math skills
• Assessment after four months showed boys significantly outscored girls, with the gap quadrupling by the end of the first year
• Socioeconomic factors amplified the disparity, with larger gaps observed in higher-status schools and families
• Researchers cite teacher biases that credit boys’ success to talent while attributing girls’ achievements to effort
• Early curricular interventions are recommended to support girls’ confidence before stereotypes undermine their mathematical development