Equal opportunity policy and the reverse gender gap in academic achievement: Evidence from a quasi-experiment in Hong Kong

Abstract

What happens when education systems remove gender barriers? We examine this question through an educational reform in Hong Kong, where a gender quota system in secondary school allocation was replaced by a merit-based one. Using TIMSS data with a quasi-experimental design, we find the reform reversed male advantages in mathematics and science by reshaping school access—girls secured more seats in higher-quality schools while boys became overrepresented in lower-quality schools. These results reveal how gender quotas had artificially constrained girls’ academic potential. More importantly, they demonstrate that equal opportunity policies do not merely level the playing field— they unleash pre-existing female advantages that ultimately reverse traditional achievement gaps.