Subject Matters

Continued

And the choices made in school have consequences too. For example, when pupils go into higher education in Scotland, it means that male and female applicants make different subject choices:

• 60 – 90% of students in subjects such as engineering, physical sciences and mathematical sciences are male
• The split is roughly 60% female and 40% male in subjects such as medicine and social studies
• More than 65% of the students in subjects such as creative arts and design, biological sciences, education and subjects allied to medicine are female

And then, when they leave higher education and get into work:

• Women earn less than men
• The pay gap tends to widen the longer graduates are in the work place

(Sourced from ‘Gender in Scottish higher education: What’s the issue?’ Scottish Funding Council)

You’re going to want to make the most of all the opportunities open to you when you leave school.

So don’t set yourself extra hurdles by limiting the range of Standard grades, Intermediates or Highers you are going to consider.