Gender representation in English language textbooks used in the Singapore primary schools

Two basal reader series used in the Singapore primary schools were analysed for discrepancies in the treatment of male and female characters. Imbalances were found in the female: male ratio, in the amount of speech given to characters, and in role‐representation. In both series, the importance of male characters becomes greater as the level of reader rises. The implications of this discrepancy are of some concern for Singapore's education system, where textbooks have long been seen as a major means of socialisation.