Gender and ethnicity in the educational system

According to this report ethnic minorities in Denmark are increasingly taking an education. The first part of the report includes a literature study of national and international research in the area, focusing particularly on the significance of gender in relation to education/training. The second part of the report contains a comparison of the rate of education for ethnic Danes and ethnic minorities, and for the two genders, on the basis of register data. The report also analyses the extent to which various groups find employment.
The study shows that ethnic minorities in Denmark are taking an education to a much higher extent now than 20 years ago. Girls in particular do well in the educational system. They choose longer study programmes and complete them to a much greater extent. Conversely the boys have more difficulties. According to research, a family background unaccustomed to education may lead to problems at school. It is also apparent that some boys turn their backs on the school system and seek success elsewhere because they feel stigmatised as troublemakers from the start.
The study has been prepared for the Department for Gender Quality under the auspices of the Ministry of Gender Equality and it has been financed by the public pool of funds earmarked for disadvantaged groups.