9699 · 6.3
Ethnicity and educational attainment flashcards
Revision flashcards for Cambridge 9699 Ethnicity and educational attainment (syllabus 6.3). Flip, recall, then mark a real past-paper question.
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Achievement patterns (UK)?
Chinese/Indian often highest; white working-class boys among lowest — patterns change over time.
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Driver & Ballard?
Asian families' high expectations and support boost achievement.
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Gillborn — institutional racism?
School policies/practices systematically disadvantage ethnic minorities.
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Wright — primary teachers?
Asian girls overlooked; discipline focused on Afro-Caribbean boys.
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Mac an Ghaill — subcultures?
Black students form anti-school subcultures responding to racism.
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EAL support?
English as additional language programmes — material/policy response.
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What is the 'ethnocentric curriculum'?
A curriculum that reflects the culture of one dominant ethnic group (e.g., White British) while disregarding or devaluing others. Examples include focusing on British history, European languages, and literature by white authors, which can alienate minority pupils.
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Define 'institutional racism' in the context of education.
Discrimination against ethnic minorities that is built into the rules, regulations, and routine practices of the school system. It is distinct from individual racism as it can be unintentional. Examples include the ethnocentric curriculum and racial bias in streaming.
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How does Gillborn and Youdell's concept of 'educational triage' relate to ethnicity?
They argue that in the 'A-to-C economy', schools categorise pupils into 'safe passes', 'borderline cases', and 'hopeless cases'. Teachers' racialised expectations mean they are more likely to label Black pupils as 'hopeless cases', denying them the resources and attention needed to succeed.
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What was the main argument of the Swann Report (1985)?
While it acknowledged the role of racism in schools, the Swann Report concluded that social and economic factors, i.e., social class, were the primary cause of the underachievement of West Indian pupils. It argued that ethnicity cannot be considered in isolation from class.
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Briefly explain Tony Sewell's theory on Black boys' responses to schooling.
Sewell argues that Black boys adopt a range of strategies in response to schooling and racism. The main four are: The Rebels (anti-school, reject school's goals), The Conformists (pro-school, keen to succeed), The Retreatists (isolated, disconnected from school and subcultures), and The Innovators (pro-education but anti-school).