Only 2% of GCSE students study a book written by a female author, according to research by campaigners who are urging exam boards to diversify their set text lists to curb the rise of misogynistic views.
Research by End Sexism in Schools (ESIS) found that 67% of set texts for modern prose and drama were by male authors, while 58% of the set 19th-century novels were by men. It also found that 69% of the set texts for modern prose and drama papers had a male protagonist, rising to 71% for the 19th-century novel.
Rachel Fenn, a founder of ESIS and an English teacher, said: “While these stats are shocking, they are hardly surprising. The traditional canon of English literature has always valued the white male voice over others since its creation in the early 20th century.
“However, for the next generation to grow up challenging a patriarchal view of the world, both boys and girls need to be exposed to strong and empowering representations of women, not the voiceless victims and servants we see repeatedly in the perennially popular texts taught in English lessons.”
The research was based on asking each awarding body to provide numbers of pupils who answered on each text in GCSE exams in 2018, 2019 and 2022, with the pandemic years excluded as these were based on teacher-assessed grades.
