Girls are performing better than boys at school, are more likely to follow college and university education and get their degrees more quickly, according to new figures from the school inspectorate.

There are now more girls than boys in pre-university and hbo college streams while boys are in a majority in vocational training. Boys also form 66% of the pupils in special education and are more likely to repeat school years.
In higher education, girls are less likely to change their minds about the subjects they study. Of the students who started university in 2001, six out of 10 men had a degree within five years, compared with 75% of women. There is a similar gap in hbo college results.
In terms of subjects, at the end of primary school, girls are better at spelling and reading while boys are better at maths and arithmetic, the inspectors say.
The inspectors will publish more information on the research in mid April.