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Ethnic minority pupils improving faster in three Rs than white classmates
Last updated at 08:07am on 28.11.07
Progress: Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Caribbean and African children are still trailing behind white pupils, but are narrowing the gap (file picture)
Children from ethnic minorities are making faster progress in the three Rs than their white counterparts, it has emerged.
Pupils of Chinese and Indian descent raced further ahead and clinched record grades in GCSE English and maths.
Those from African, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Caribbean backgrounds are still narrowing the gap behind white pupils.
Government figures also showed how white British boys are being left behind in the three Rs by pupils from 'other white backgrounds' - including new arrivals from Eastern Europe.
Many of those outperforming white British children are unlikely to speak English at home.
White boys whose mother tongue is English achieved significantly lower standards in the three Rs than girls who speak English as their second language.
The revelations will raise fresh concerns over the performance of white boys, particularly from working-class backgrounds.
A breakdown of GCSE results by ethnicity reveals how children from Asian families overtake white pupils.
At 11, white pupils are ahead in English and maths but by 16 the tables have turned.
This summer, 47.8 per cent of Asian pupils achieved five GCSEs at grades A* to C, including English-and maths - against 45.8 per cent of white British youngsters.
A breakdown reveals 61.6 per cent of Indian pupils reached the benchmark five grades - up 2.5 points on last year.
Pakistani youngsters improved 2.2 points to 36.8 per cent while Bangladeshi pupils went up two points to 41 per cent.
Chinese pupils improved the most, rising 4.4 points.
They are the highest-performing, with 70.2 per cent reaching the three Rs benchmark. Mixed white and Asian pupils recorded above-average grades, with 58.4 per cent hitting the benchmark.
White British children increased their scores by 1.5 points.
Only 41.9 per cent of white boys achieved the benchmark, compared with 42.2 per cent of boys from "other white backgrounds" and 49.5 per cent of girls.
The groups with the lowest scores were Irish traveller children and those from gipsy and Romany families.
Ministers yesterday hailed improvements among black pupils after 32.7 per cent of Caribbean youngsters reached the target, up 3.2 points.
For African pupils, the equivalent figures were 40.1 per cent and 2.7 points.
Schools Minister Lord Adonis said: "This is another year of GCSE success for minority ethnic pupils."
He said the rate of improvement in black pupils' results was more than twice the average, adding: "Good GCSE results mean better life changes."
But the Tories warned that the gap between wealthy pupils and the rest was increasing.
Reader views (5)
Here's a sample of the latest views published. You can click view all to read all views that readers have sent in.
Much is done to help ethnic 'minorities' (ethnic 'majorities' would better suit the area where I live). Perhaps it's time to realise that Britain's taxpayers' money should focus on British school children. We shouldn't be penalised for being white and born in this country.
- Jane, London
And if you give them a bad grade then you get fired.
- Jerome, London
Why is this surprising? Have a look around at the chavs on the streets who are barely literate and having children at 16, it hardly takes a genius to work out who their kids are going to grow up like does it?
- Trevor Roll, London
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