Ethnicity, parental choice and school markets

Overview

Ethnic differences in achievement and exclusion, institutional racism, Cecile Wright, marketisation and the Education Reform Act 1988, Ball, Bowe and Gewirtz, and types of state school.

What you need to know

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Questions from this subtopic

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1. 1

   How does educational achievement vary by ethnicity in England?

   Model answer

   Department for Education data show that pupils of Chinese and Indian heritage have the highest average GCSE attainment. Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller pupils have the lowest, and Black Caribbean pupils are below average.

2. 2

   What is exclusion from school, and how does it vary by ethnicity?

   Model answer

   Exclusion is removing a pupil from school, either for a fixed period or permanently. Department for Education figures show Black Caribbean pupils are excluded at higher rates than the average.

3. 3

   What is institutional racism, and how might it affect pupils?

   Model answer

   Institutional racism is discrimination built into an organisation's policies and routines, often without anyone intending it. David Gillborn argues that practices such as setting and exclusion disadvantage some minority ethnic pupils.

4. 4

   What is an ethnocentric curriculum?

   Model answer

   An ethnocentric curriculum reflects the culture, history and language of one ethnic group, usually the white British majority. Critics argue that it can leave minority ethnic pupils feeling undervalued.

5. 5

   What did Cecile Wright find about teachers' views of minority ethnic pupils?

   Model answer

   Cecile Wright observed multi-ethnic primary schools in 1992. Teachers often assumed Asian pupils had poor English and saw Black pupils as badly behaved, and treated them accordingly.

6. 6

   How do cultural, material and labelling explanations account for ethnic differences in achievement?

   Model answer

   Cultural explanations point to language and family values, while material explanations point to higher poverty in some groups. Interactionists stress teacher labelling, and Marxists link ethnic inequality to class.

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