Ethnicity and education

argued that Bangledeshi and Pakistani students tend to lack fluency in English. This may cause a problem at school, especially when English isn’t spoken at home. This may mean that these students struggle to understand the curriculum.

• Modood

• Labov

argued that Bangladeshi children seem to suffer the worst in terms of fluency in English. He also suggested that black pupils have good linguistic skills, if encouraged.

• Modood

• Labov

• Gillborn and Mirza

• Mac an Ghaill

the Afro-caribbean ‘rasta heads’ he researched had high linguistic skills.

• Mac an Ghaill

• Gillborn and Mirza

argue that South Asian parents have high aspirations and push their children to work hard and be successful.

• Driver and Ballard

• Ken Pryce

• Tony Sewell

59% of black Caribbean children live in lone-parent households, compared to 22% of white children. He argued that this means black boys ‘lack’ a male role model.

• Ken Pryce

• Tony Sewell

• Driver and Ballard

argued that one of the reasons for black African-Caribbeans’ underperformance is the absence of fathers since ‘so many boys’ grow up in single-parent families headed by women. He argued that the lack of a male role model makes it harder for some boys to adopt to the demands of school.

• Tony Sewell

• Ken Pryce

• Driver and Ballard

notes that we can’t generalise to all ‘south asian’ groups. Huge differences in their attainment (Indian 73% above benchmarks and Pakistani group 54% )

• Gillborn

• Pilkington

• Pryce and Sewell

highlights the fact that Black pupils start school with one the highest reading rates, but leave underperforming. This suggests the problem is not at home.

• Gillborn

• Pryce and Sewell

• Pilkington

can explain why there is a 21% difference between black boys and girls achievement (because having a strong female role model can be a positive resource).

• Pilkington

• Gillborn

• Pryce and Sewell

found evidence of racially discriminatory practices in the allocation of pupils to sets.

• Mirza

• Pilkington

• Gillborn and Ball