In many schools and universities, girls tend to choose arts subjects and boy choose science. Reasons and should we change?

Subject choice through gender specifics characteristics tendency, which should be changed but still appeared in so many schools and universities, is while females are more likely to attend subjects such as languages and literature, males seem to choose science subjects such maths, physics instead. Personally, i think that this trend could be attributed to two dominated reasons and this is a tendency should be altered.

There are two main factors contributing to this trend.

On the one hard, gender – specific characteristics makes the differences interests between boys and girls. Girls seem to have a better sense of arts and are better at expressing themselves, not only the better performance in making the grade as arts students but also the ability to appreciate the aesthetic qualities of works of arts. In contrast, boys are more energetic and active, resulting in better concentration in analytical subjects such as Maths and Physics. On the other hand, this tendency may stem from students being bombarded with the traditional misconception that a gender can only excel at some subjects and not others. There is a vast majority of parents, especially Asian parents, have fixed perception that men who play main money earning role should do highly income works, for instance, doctors, finance entrepreneurs, bankers.... However, university entrance tests related these works are almost concentrated in Mathematics, physics and chemistry. Otherwise, Traditionalists also believe that women should only enroll in feminine works such as translators, teachers, assistants… leading to their concentration in languages and literature in high schools and tertiary education.

In my view, it is essential for students to be at liberty to choose what subject they wish to pursue, even subjects once labeled unfit for their gender identity. This would dispel the misconception that the sciences is meant for boys while the arts is for girls and eventually eradicate sexual discrimination within as major as well as enable students to find their true passion.

In conclusion, I am persuaded that natural preferences and social stereotypes about each gender affect student’s subject choice, and that it is vital to shift this trend so that all students are entitled to the freedom to study those courses to which they aspire.