Girls have once again out-performed boys in this year's Junior Certificate exam, securing more honours grades at higher level in all of the most popular subjects.
A breakdown of performance in this year's exam, released by the State Examinations Commission, shows that boys failed to outperform girls in all of the most commonly studied Junior Certificate subjects.
For example, 85 per cent of girls achieved honours in higher-level Irish, compared to 74 per cent of boys. In English, 82 per cent of girls scored honours, nearly 12 percentage points higher than males.
Similarly, in maths, an average of 76 per cent of girls obtained an honour, compared to 70 per cent of boys, while in science 77 per cent of girls achieved an honour, and 71 per cent of boys.
Interestingly, the figures also reveal that boys are more likely than girls to take ordinary-level subjects, across a wide range of subjects. This is in spite of the fact that more girls than boys sat the exam nationally.
More boys took ordinary-level exams in core subjects, such as Irish, English and maths, as well as business studies, science and French.
But failure rates among boys at ordinary level remain higher than their female counterparts.
For example, nearly 9 per cent of boys failed ordinary-level Irish, compared to just 4 per cent of girls.
In maths, although some 6 per cent of girls failed the ordinary-level exam, about 9 per cent of boys did not pass the subject.
However, in subjects such as English, the gap between boys and girls failing the exam is narrower, with less than 1 per cent of girls failing compared to 1. 5 per cent of boys.
The latest figures confirm a trend present throughout the education system, where girls are increasingly doing better than their male counterparts.
According to Mr John MacGabhann of the Teachers Union of Ireland, the latest results indicate that many students, particularly boys, are "locked in" to studying ordinary-level subjects from an early age.
"The problem isn't starting at third year, it is starting at first year," he said. "It is the experience of many teachers that difficulties with motivation are more pronounced with boys. This could have to do with their experiences at school as far back as primary level." However, Professor Pat O'Connor, of the University of Limerick, said she believed it was necessary to look at what girls were doing right, in order to encourage boys to emulate them.
"These figures tell us that girls are told they must succeed in order to achieve," she said, "whereas boys feel entitled to a reward without putting in the effort."