A sweeping French study has found that girls begin to lag behind boys in mathematics just four months into primary school—despite starting with equal skills—raising urgent questions about how early educational environments may shape cognitive development and reinforce gender disparities.
Published in Nature, the study analyzed data from nearly three million schoolchildren, offering unprecedented insight into how gender gaps in academic performance form and persist. The research concluded that girls and boys enter school with comparable mathematical abilities, but by the end of the first term, girls are already underperforming relative to boys—a gap that only widens as schooling continues.
Researchers ruled out biological differences in cognitive ability. “We don’t see a natural difference at the start,” said economist and co-author Clémentine Van Effenterre. “The divergence occurs only after schooling begins, meaning the classroom environment is likely the source.”
The study suggests that implicit biases from teachers, differential expectations, and subtle classroom dynamics may be contributing to the rapid emergence of this disparity. Cognitive scientists have long warned that environmental factors—such as feedback styles, stereotype exposure, and social reinforcement—can directly influence how children perceive their own capabilities, particularly in domains like math and science.
This finding aligns with psychological research on stereotype threat, which shows that when girls are subtly reminded of stereotypes suggesting they are less capable in maths, their working memory and performance are impaired. In early childhood, when the brain is highly plastic, these experiences can have long-lasting impacts on academic confidence and achievement.
Experts say the implications go far beyond France. “These results likely reflect a broader, global pattern,” said developmental psychologist Dr. Hélène Vuillet, who was not involved in the study. “It points to a need for structural changes in how we teach, assess, and encourage children—especially in STEM fields.”
The authors urge governments and school systems to implement bias training for educators, develop gender-neutral curricula, and closely monitor performance disparities from the earliest stages. They also recommend further interdisciplinary research combining neuroscience, education policy, and social psychology to address root causes.
In a world increasingly reliant on technology and mathematical literacy, the early erosion of girls’ confidence and performance in maths could have lasting effects on gender representation in STEM careers. The message from the study is clear: the gender gap in maths is not a matter of biology—it is a result of the environment we create in classrooms.
“We must act early,” Van Effenterre emphasized. “If we want equal outcomes, we must start with equal environments.”
Bd-pratidin English
Jisan Al Jubair
