Ethnicity - Internal Factors - Introduction (labelling, identites, responses)

Question 1

What did Gillborn and Mirza find about black children’s achievement?

Answer 1

Gillborn and Mirza (2000) found that in one local authority, black children were the highest achievers on entry to primary school (20 percentage points above average).
But by the time it came to GCSE’s they had the worst results of any ethnic group (21 percentage points below average).

Question 2

What did Strand find about progress in schools for black Caribbean students?

Answer 2

Strand (2010) analysed a national cohort of 530,000+ 7-11 year olds that shows how quickly many black pupils fall behind after starting school.

He found that black Caribbean boys who were not entitled to free school meals (especially more able pupils) made much less progress than their white peers.

Question 3

What does the lack of achievement and progress challenge in ethnic differences in education?

Answer 3

If students can start school as the highest achievers and finish the lowest achievers, this challenges the assumption made by cultural deprivation theorists that black children enter school unprepared.

It suggests that internal factors may be a major part in producing ethnic differences in education.