There are currently six boys to one girl in many areas of computing education, according to a new report from BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.

However, the research also found that once young women do choose computing they generally outperform their male counterparts.

The study says that the gender gap has with the replacement of Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) by the Computer Science discipline.

“Whilst male:female ratios of 2:1 were not untypical of the older Information and Communications Technology (ICT) curricula, the move to a more computing-focused approach has seen the imbalance grow: most regularly to around the 5-6:1 level,” said professor dame Muffy Calder, chair of BCS’ School Curriculum and Assessment Committee (SCAC). “This matters because teams that develop, say, the use of AI in medicine, or algorithms that affect our financial lives or employment chances need to be diverse to ensure outcomes are fair and relevant to everyone in society.”

BCS has recommended that task forces involving the four UK countries be formed to increase participation in computing and digital qualifications, and to understand the IT labour market and skills required by industry.

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