Sharing Good Practice
GENDER BIAS IN SCHOOLS
A DUBAI CASE STUDY
BY CATHERINE O’FARRELL
research shows that our identification
of needs is influenced by cultural bias
against girls.
• boys may be seen as destined to
become breadwinners and so given
priority in schooling (Rousso, 2000).
• identifying girls with disabilities may
reduce chances of getting married
(Fahd et. al, 1997) and so affects the
willingness to identify.
• Biological bias
G
ender Bias is a prevalent
issue relating to SEND
identification across the
globe. Following analysis of
SEND data over a two-year period at
Ranches Primary School in Dubai, it
can be seen how this effect is being
reflected in Dubai’s Educational
Landscape.
UNESCO has found that globally the
ratio of identified SEND needs has a
male: female ratio of 3:1.
This effect is even more pronounced in
the Arab educational sphere and has
been a source of hot conversation in
recent years.
This is reflected in the current case
study where a ratio of 4:1 male to
female is represented in identifying
SEND needs.
These findings have been represented
in an array of studies worldwide
leading to a very relevant question:
What could be contributing
to this bias?
There are a number of contributing
factors, but according to research,
fortunately, many of them can be
tackled to reduce their effect, “gender
bias among referring agents is a major
factor in the unequal distribution
of males and females in learning
disabilities
programs”
Anderson
(1997).
• Higher rates (among boys) of foetal
mortality,
postnatal
mortality,
complications during pregnancy/
childbirth
and
congenital
malformations (Eme, 1984).
• Boys mature more slowly than girls
(Nass, 1993). This may impact on
their adaptability to the educational
environment .
• Genetic link to autism? Recent
research
(e.g.
Werling
and
Geschwind, 2012) has suggested
that the absence of a second X
chromosome in males could render
them more susceptible to autism.
Behavioural bias
• Boys who are frustrated academically
‘act out’ (Oswald et al., 2003), tend
to be physical in class and express
themselves verbally, this is more
visible than silent behaviours.
• Girls tend to internalise their
feelings and work harder to please;
girls experiencing anxiety issues
tend to remain silent (Biederman et
al., 2002).
• These qualities may skew the
numbers and imply boys have higher
incidences of emotional behavioural
difficulties.
• ‘Good behaviour’ is appraised
differently for boys and girls. Girls
tend to be deemed as well behaved
when they are quiet whereas boys
are deemed to be naturally more
boisterous.
Cultural bias
As much as we, as teachers, parents
and stakeholders may think otherwise,
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Class Time
These biases are disproportionally
greatest among children aged 5-11,
during which rates for boys surge
(Philips, 1982).
So What?
Be aware!
Pay close attention to girls in your class
who are quieter or disengaged and
think ‘Why?’
Be mindful of the typically gender
biased stereotypical behaviours we
look for in boys and girls.
Analyse your own referrals - are there
disproportionately more boys than
girls, is this a true reflection of the
cohort?
Ask yourself some key questions:
Do I encourage and empower boys
and girls equally?
What kinds of praise do you use, does
it differ for boys and girls? What kind
of tasks do you ask boys and girls to
participate in, take leadership of?
Do I offer equal talking and listening
time to both girls and boys?
Take a specified period of time in your
day, 15-20 mins and have a colleague
to track your talk time with boys and
girls to see if your typical interactions
differ, raising awareness is the first
step toward change.
Is there a balanced representation of
characters in my class library?
Very
regularly
there
is
an
overrepresentation of male characters
in children’s books, this is an easy
change to make.
By raising awareness, perhaps, we can
work toward reducing this gender gap
and promote a more equal distribution
for SEND intervention.
Catherine O'Farrell is an experienced psychologist and teacher holding both
a BSc-Psych as well as a B-Ed. She has worked in educational and medical
institutions across Ireland, the UK, Australia and the UAE for over 12 years. She
is currently the Head of Inclusion at Ranches Primary School in Dubai and the
Director of Phase 2 for the Dubai Inclusion Network.