Class and Race: Holding students back

A study published today - 4th April - by the CentreForum think tank has revealed the intersectionality of disadvantage in UK education.

Key findings show that white British students are high achiever in their early years but fall behind fellow students from other ethnic backgrounds after secondary school. But this key finding only tells half the story.

Whilst white students fall behind Chinese, Indian, and Black African ethnic students, other ethnic groups, particularly those economically disadvantaged groups such as Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Caribbean are also falling behind a global standard too

The CentreForum study stated that:

The outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, when compared with their peers, remain significantly lower on every measure.”

Socioeconomic factors affect the progress and attainment for young students before they take their CGSE exams at the end of secondary school. Disadvantaged students do not have the same opportunities as those from more affluent backgrounds, and throughout school they continuously fall behind.

The one factor that seems to be assisting all BME groups despite the economic disadvantage is the emphasis that BME parents and carers put on education. This is not the first report to show that BME parents are particularly pushing their children in order to give them a good start in life.

These other studies have made a correlation with educational successful schools and diversity which, the data shows is actually beneficial for all students of all ethnic and religious backgrounds.

The recent success for London schools for example was explained in part by Bristol professor Simon Burgess who said that:

the basis for the [improved] London performance is the ethnic composition of its school population,”

In sharp contrast a 2015 Demos study stated suggested that school segregation was one reason for White students doing poorly, because diversity facilitates better attainment for students who are exposed to different ethnicities and whose parents are able to communicate with each other.

We can learn much from all this data, but what is becoming clear are the facts that suggest both economic advantages plays a key role, but the driving force of BME families is able to mitigate in part the socioeconomic disadvantage.

Mary Schlichte