Are gender quotas in schools sabotaging success for girls? Bulgaria’s controversial policy puts boys ahead

Article here. Excerpt:

'Bulgaria’s education system has been shaped by gender quotas since the 1960s, aiming for a 50/50 gender balance in classrooms. These quotas were initially created to encourage girls to enter traditionally male-dominated fields, such as science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM). However, our findings suggest that these policies might be doing more harm than good, especially for female students during the high school admissions process.

Despite their original intent, these quotas can sometimes force admissions officers to favour boys—even if they have lower academic scores—to meet the desired gender balance. This has led to situations where girls, who make up 56 per cent of the student population, struggle to get into their preferred schools.

A system disadvantaging high-performing girls
Our research reveals that these quotas are making it increasingly difficult for some girls to secure spots in top high schools. The competition has intensified as more girls than boys are vying for these positions. While the quotas aim to balance gender representation, in practice, they can result in boys with lower grades being admitted over girls with higher scores.

The issue is particularly evident in high schools that focus on fields like languages and literature—areas where female students have traditionally been dominant. Here, academically strong girls may find themselves at a disadvantage simply because the quota favours boys, regardless of their performance.'