Girls in single-sex schools face major STEM access gap - new I Wish Survey

21 October 2025

The 2025 I Wish Survey has found that more than half of girls in single-sex schools see limited subject choice as a barrier to pursuing STEM.

The annual 2025 Survey of Female Students’ Attitudes to STEM by I Wish — a national non-profit that empowers girls to see the potential of STEM — also reveals stark differences between single-sex and mixed schools. Among the 2,335 Transition Year female students surveyed in single-sex schools, just 5 percent reported access to Construction Studies and 6 percent to Engineering, compared with 84 percent and 74 percent respectively in mixed schools.

This trend reflects the national outlook, with the Department of Education’s 2024 Indicator Report showing that only 71 percent of girls’ schools offer at least one STEM subject beyond Maths or Science, compared with 96 percent of boys’ schools. These findings highlight the structural barriers that continue to shape subject choice for girls in single-sex schools, limiting early exposure to key STEM pathways.
The report calls for urgent action to ensure equal access to STEM education for every girl in Ireland. Central to this mission is the 11th annual I Wish Festival, taking place on 5 February 2026 at the RDS Dublin, which will bring together over 4,000 students to hear from leading female voices in global STEM industries. Registration is now open at iwish.ie/tickets/.

Speaking at the launch of the Report at Government Buildings, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin said:

“I Wish continues to play a pivotal role in inspiring the next generation of girls to pursue futures in STEM. As technology and AI rapidly evolve, Ireland must have a strong pipeline of diverse talent ready to meet that challenge. The latest report from I Wish reinforces that early engagement is essential. My Government is fully committed to addressing the barriers facing females in STEM and ensuring every girl has the opportunity to shape their future through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.”

I Wish co-founder, Gillian Keating added:

“We’re seeing real progress as more young women than ever before are pursuing STEM at third level, and that’s something to celebrate. But this year’s findings make it clear that the pipeline is still too narrow at the start. Limited subject choices, particularly in single-sex schools, continue to restrict girls’ opportunities. Exposure drives opportunity.

The I Wish Festival is part of that journey a vibrant, high-energy space where girls can experience STEM in action, meet inspiring women, and start to imagine their own futures in these fields.”

After a successful two-year pilot, I Wish have announced a new partnership with Logitech to scale its Primary Programme, which helps boost girls’ confidence in STEM from a younger age through alumni talks, industry visits and hands-on experiments. Participation in the programme grew by 38 percent in 2025, reaching 265 students. However, confidence remains a concern - just half (49 percent) of students at primary level said they felt good at maths only sometimes, while 17 percent were not confident in STEM.

I Wish co-founder, Caroline O’Driscoll said:

“Early intervention is critical. Almost half of the students express a growing anxiety about maths, and that’s a concern. On a more positive note, 50 percent of students want more STEM activities in the classroom, with 95 percent of girls saying they believed that girls can be just as good as boys in STEM. That curiosity and confidence need to be nurtured.

Interestingly, we are also seeing a really strong link between sport and confidence. The data shows a clear difference: girls who play sport are more confident in STEM subjects, school life, and even speaking up in class - often by 10 to 15 percentage points. Building that connection between sport and STEM helps develop resilience, teamwork and problem-solving skills that open the door to underrepresented STEM fields.”

The I Wish 2025 Survey of Female Students’ Attitudes to STEM sets out a roadmap for change, calling for early access to STEM education for all girls, extending through to secondary school, where structural barriers in timetabling and subject choice must be addressed. The report urges stronger links between classroom learning and real-world experience - from applied STEM activities and industry engagement to dedicated Transition Year events that normalise participation. It advocates for more creative approaches to representing STEM, including relatable social media content and initiatives that link STEM with sports.

To support greater access to the 2025 I Wish Festival, Iarnród Éireann will once again partner with I Wish, offering free rail transport from 15 locations across Ireland.

Iarnród Éireann CEO, Mary Considine said:

"We are proud to continue our partnership with I Wish, ensuring that young girls from all corners of Ireland can access this vital and inspiring event. Together, we want to forge a future where every girl can confidently envision herself succeeding in STEM – creating a country of equal opportunities for girls and women strengthens us as an employer and as a service provider, and our society and economy as a whole."

Key findings from the 2025 I Wish Survey include:

• 55 percent of girls in single-sex schools cite limited subject choice as a barrier to STEM, versus 37 percent in mixed schools.
• Access to applied STEM subjects remains low — only 5 percent reported having Construction Studies and 6 percent having Engineering, versus 84 percent and 74 percent in mixed schools.
• Main barriers: lack of information (64 percent), confidence (55 percent), female role models (50 percent), and subject choice (46 percent).
• Girls who play sports reported higher confidence in STEM subjects (53 percent vs 40 percent) and school life (61 percent vs 49 percent).

Visit www.iwish.ie/surveys/ to read the I Wish 2025 Survey Report in full. The I Wish Festival is supported by Deloitte along with Dell Technologies, Regeneron, Johnson and Johnson, Iarnród Éireann and Logitech.