Abstract
What is gender equality in education? On one level the question is straightforward as this goal has been an aspiration of social policy for decades in many countries. But the simple question raises some difficult issues. Is gender equality in education about equal numbers of boys and girls in different phases of schooling? Is it about boys and girls gaining equivalent levels of examination passes? Is it about gender relations and social practices in schools and how these may be made more equitable? Or is it a combination of these? This chapter critiques different interpretations of gender equality and education to make the argument that our perspectives on what counts as gender equality have real policy and practice effects.