Minority ethnic groups in education: new findings
It is vitally important that we tackle disadvantage amongst minority ethnic groups. A research report published by the DfES today (31 July) reveals the diverse and complex picture of minority ethnic attainment and participation right across the education system.
How well - or how badly - children do at school tends to polarise as they get older. The latest data shows that Black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani pupils perform less well than other ethnic groups throughout compulsory education. The performance of Black Caribbean pupils, in particular, seems to worsen relative to other groups by the time of their GCSEs, which is a serious cause for concern. On the other hand, Indian and Chinese pupils perform better than all other ethnic groups throughout.
New figures show that proportionately more Black Caribbean and Black Other pupils attend pupil referral units. This finding reflects the greater proportion of Black Caribbean and Black Other pupils who are permanently excluded from school, a trend, albeit a decreasing one, that has been noted since this data was first collected in 1996/97.
Proportionately more Black, Pakistani and Bangladeshi pupils are recorded as having special educational needs (SEN) compared to White, Chinese and Indian pupils. While the recorded level of special needs varies considerably across LEAs, making it difficult to tell whether this is a national trend, the differences between different ethnic groups are striking.
The child's background explains some of the variations in how well they do at school. The latest 2003 figures reveal that some children are significantly disadvantaged: over 30 percent of Pakistani and Black pupils and over 50 percent of Bangladeshi, Gypsy/Roma pupils and Travellers of Irish Heritage are eligible for free school meals. This compares to just 14 percent of White pupils. Pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) are likely to do less well at GCSE than those not eligible, a pattern that applies to children from all ethnic groups. Interestingly, however, the largest discrepancy in attainment between FSM and non-FSM pupils is found amongst White pupils indicating that other factors must also be considered in understanding and addressing the achievements of minority ethnic pupils.
Recent research has focused on what works best in raising the attainment of minority ethnic groups. Schools which successfully help minority ethnic children have strong leadership and systems which work well, a culture of achievement with high expectations placed on staff and pupils alike. They provide intensive support for pupils as well as establishing and maintaining close links with parents.
When young people leave school at 16, the paths they take differ considerably by ethnic group. There are very high staying on rates of Black and Asian young people compared to White young people. Black Africans of working age are the most likely to be currently studying for a qualification (44 percent compared to 17 percent of White people and 24 percent of Indian people).
Minority ethnic students are well represented in higher education They make up an estimated 15 percent of all undergraduates in Higher Education Institutions, the Open University and Further Education Colleges. But they are less likely than White students to obtain first class or upper second class degrees.
After school, the diverse patterns of participation tend to continue into adulthood. For example, updated figures show that Pakistani and Bangladeshi adults are much less likely than other ethnic groups to be participating in adult learning. By contrast, people of Black Caribbean, Black African and Mixed ethnic heritage have high rates of participation.
The range of data reviewed in this newly published report demonstrates how the key information gaps at a national level are being plugged. Data from the Pupil Level Annual School Census and the National Pupil Database, in particular, is a rich new source of information which will lead to a much better understanding of the relative progress being made by different ethnic groups in education.
Click here to download the full report and information on how to order.
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