Every four years, the Ministry of National Education receives a preview of the results of the Timss study (for “Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study”), which reference on the subject. This year, the rue de Grenelle note “a stabilization of results in mathematics and sciences in France between 2019 and 2023”, but behind this assertion, two points of concern should be noted.
First, it should be noted that the study gives the results based on a standardized average of 500 points. In other words, all results below 500 are below the average for OECD countries. The boys therefore obtained an average result of 4 points below average and the girls… 27 points.
Here lies the second alarming observation: in France, the gap between girls and boys in CM1 class is widening in mathematics and science.
The same goes for students in fourth grade: boys obtain on average 12 points more than girls in mathematics and 5 points more in science subjects. These figures are roughly similar to those of the average for OECD countries, but France is not a good student. These gaps are much less significant in the Scandinavian countries or even in Türkiye, a country which is however not often cited as a model in educational rankings.
How can we explain this dropout? The answers are to be sought from elementary school. A study by Paris Dauphine-PSL University demonstrated that the appearance of level gaps appeared between the start of CP and the start of CE1. When they arrive at elementary school, the students have an approximately equivalent level in maths but disparities appear within a few months. Moving to the next level, the average rank of girls is lower than that of boys for all mathematical activities, including the most basic.
The French’s difficulties in mathematics are not a recent phenomenon. During a forum dating from 2022, a few months before the presidential election, business leaders were particularly alarmed by this low level and the risks that this posed for the competitiveness of our country.