Foster, Gomm and Hammersley found quite different evidence than that provided by the Black Child Report. Writing in 1996, Foster et al were keen to highlight the difference between racism and discrimination based on teachers stereotypes etc. When looking at the evidence put forward by sociologists such as Gilbourn et al, who claimed to have found racism in the classrooms, he stated “There is also some serious problem with the evidential base on which descriptive claims about differential treatment rely”
Overall, I feel that whilst racism may exist in the educational establishment from both teachers and pupils there are several problems when actually getting reliable evidence on the subject. In just asking whether pupils have suffered from racism, the personal interpretations of racism can cause significant problems with evidence. Also, the work of Mac an Ghaill shows that whilst some pupils feel racism is inherent, others feel that racism is not an issue so much in education. However, I feel that when pupils do suffer from racism they are being discriminated against and so disadvantaged in the education system.
Another aspect of the Racism issue is the question of whether schools are institutionally racists. Sir William MacPherson, the judge who conducted the Stephen Lawrence inquiry, described institutional racism as “collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin”.
The Swann Report of 1985, looking into the question of ethnicity in schools, found that Institutional Racism existed in schools. Whilst it accepted that only a small minority of teachers were consciously racist, there was a good deal of ‘unintentional’ racism. Teachers, and the books and other materials they used, sometimes supported a negative image of ethnic minorities.
This backed up earlier work done by Bernard Coard. Investigating the treatment of ethnic minorities in the British Educational System, he claimed that the system makes black students become educationally subnormal by making them feel inferior. He cited four main reasons for this. Firstly he found that West-Indian pupils were told that their way of speaking was second rate and unacceptable. This ties in with Bernsteins work on the effect of language and achievement on schools, with the implication that they are second rate human beings. Secondly, whilst looking at books and other resources he found that the word White was associated with good; the word Black with evil. He also found that the content of the education that pupils receive tends to ignore black students. Coard claimed that that the people whose lives were studied and acclaimed were white. Black culture, music and are were all notably absent from the national curriculum. Finally, the attitudes conveyed in the classrooms were often used y pupils outside it. He named an example where white students called West Indian students “black bastards”
When looking at these two sources it is important to remember that they were written almost twenty years ago and the attitudes and education received has moved on. However, more recent work has found that institutional racism is still inherent in the system. These reports, though, are still worthwhile looking at, as they do address areas of discrimination which otherwise may be overlooked.
An OFSTED report published in 1999 found that there were examples of processes, attitudes and behaviour that amounted to unwitting prejudice that disadvantages ethnic minority pupils. The report looked at the achievements of black Caribbean pupils in primary schools. It found that these pupils, having started out reasonably well at primary schools, under achieved at secondary level. According to the report “There is an uncertainty which verges on helplessness about what are effective strategies to improve attainment for some groups.”
This report clearly highlights an area where the educational system fails to support the needs of pupils from ethnic minorities. However, the lack of effective strategies is not, in itself, discrimination per se. Still, though, it does indicate a lack of proper consideration and evaluation of the treatment and attainment of ethnic minority pupils.
There is one example of ethnic minority pupils now being catered properly for in the education system. Bangladeshi students, living in the Tower Hamlet area of London, are now being aided with problems with language. Interpreters, and teachers fluent in Bangladeshi, have been drafted in to help solve the communication barrier placed in the way of their education.
Overall, though, I feel that the education system, whilst it may have progressed from the days of the Swann Report still is subject to Institutional Racism. With, as highlighted in the OFSTED report, a lack of knowledge, understanding or willingness needed to address the problems faced by ethnic minorities.
Another major aspect is the stereotypes held by teachers and the effect that they have on the pupils from ethnic minorities. Heidi Mirza specifically looked at the relationship between Black Girls and teachers. What she found was that “there were numerous examples of teachers’ negative assessments, most of which were based on what they believed were ‘informed decisions’”
Following in the same stream, Diane Abbot, a Labour MP, claimed that Black Students were being let down by teachers. According to her, bad behaviour is going unchecked due to teachers being intimidated by their own cultural stereotypes of black students. However, many people came out against her remarks. Black academic, Tony Sewell, argued that it is the black youth culture, based around wearing the best clothes over academic success, that is letting black students down.
Coming back to Mac an Ghaills study, he quoted one Black student saying “The teachers treated black boys much worse than Asians and Whites. Like, if we were standing together, they would break us up, saying gangs were bad. But they didn’t seem to feel threatened in the same way with Asian and white boys”.
There is some statistical evidence to back up this viewpoint, with around 150 Black Caribbean pupils being excluded per thousand people, compared to only around 30 White students (source: OFSTED).
Looking at all the evidence presented I feel that teachers stereotypes do affect the performance of pupils from ethnic minorities. Foster himself noted examples where teachers perceptions of the pupils behaviour, rather than ability, affected what set they were placed in, in schools.
Looking at all the evidence presented, there are several areas which may cause questions to be raised. Firstly, most of the studies concentrate on Black and Asian students. These studies cannot be called conclusive as they fail to investigate discrimination in the cases of pupils from Chinese or Pakistani cultures. Secondly, the broad labelling of pupils as white provides an issue. Surely if the full extent of discrimination is to be considered, then White pupils from backgrounds such as Polish or Turkish etc. have to be considered.
Considering all the issues raised I feel that several conclusions can be raised from the position of ethnic minority pupils and discrimination in the education system. Firstly, pupils are subject to discrimination in the education system. However, looking at the broad range of results gained by pupils from ethnic minorities, the extent of this discrimination must be limited or selective to particular groups. Finally, whilst there are examples of things such as institutional racism in schools, these problems are being addressed and challenged.
SIMON KELLY
