Exclusion from School and Racial Equality: an examination of government proposals in the light of recent research evidence

Throughout the 1990s there have been growing concerns from teacher unions, local education authorities (LEAs) and central government about the rising level of pupil exclusions from schools in England and the related issue of school discipline. School exclusion has also been given a high profile in the media, with attention often focusing on cases where the original decision to exclude has been overturned on appeal. Although certain ethnic groups are over‐represented among those excluded from school, issues of race and ethnicity have largely been ignored in the public debate on exclusions and the question of possible racial discrimination overlooked. This article reports on a study to identify good practice in reducing the number of exclusions from school, particularly the disproportionate number amongst African‐Caribbean boys. The study draws on statistical data from Birmingham, the largest metropolitan LEA, and on interviews with teachers and headteachers in six West Midlands case study schools. This data was supplemented by interviews with key personnel from a variety of West Midlands authorities and by questionnaires to pupils in the case study schools. We examine recent government proposals to cut exclusions in the light of this study's findings and the context of racial equality     

Explaining sustained inequalities in ethnic minority school exclusions in England—passive racism in a neoliberal grip

The enquiries into police action in the Stephen Lawrence murder, the Macpherson report and the subsequent race relations legislation have altered the political, professional and wider social climate of debate on equality issues, including inequalities in minority ethnic exclusions. The paper analyses the meanings given to racism and institutional racism, and the contested political territory which shapes and limits the possibilities of responses working towards equity. It considers the evidence on the extent to which the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 (RRAA) has been implemented, reporting particularly on sustained disproportionality in exclusions experienced by some minority ethnic groups. Disproportionalities, in terms of exclusion and attainment, are deemed ‘institutionally racist’ outcomes produced annually as a consequence of organisational practices, limited will and low levels of investment at national, local and school levels. Critical Race Theory and writings about ‘white supremacy’ attempt to explain the normal and enduring character of racism, but the outcomes of ‘passive racism’ are best comprehended as a product of neoliberal policy‐making which limits interventions in aggregate performance for a group, giving primacy to individual effort and talent as explanatory concepts. The RRAA, in force since 2002, can, with hindsight, be seen as a legalistic, rhetorical step too far, unable to marshal governmental or institutional will and financial commitment to implement its requirements.     

Evaluating the Performances of Minority Ethnic Pupils in Secondary Schools

This paper investigates the performances and the progress made by pupils of minority ethnic origin between Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 in British secondary schools. The data used in this paper were collected as part of a PhD study by Haque (1999). The paper discusses findings from multilevel modelling analyses carried out on 12 of the 20 schools in the research study. In particular, it reveals that whilst differences exist in the performances and the progress of pupils of minority ethnic background in their Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 examinations, these differences become substantially reduced when background factors (other than ethnic origin) are taken into account. The paper concludes that in order to identify accurately and reduce the nature of disadvantages for pupils from particular minority ethnic groups, policy-makers, schools and teachers need to differentiate these groups beyond their national origin.     

英国"少数民族学生学业成就拨款计划"述评

少数民族学生的学业成就相对落后是世界各国普遍存在的问题,对此英国政府和教育界积极应对。英国从1998年起,实行少数民族学业成就拨款计划(Ethnic Minority Achieve-ment Grant,简称EMAG),以鼓励地方教育局和学校重视与满足双语学习者及少数民族学生的特殊需要,使少数民族学生的学业成就稳步提高。我国在这方面可以借鉴,应重视少数民族学生的学业成就,给予相对落后者及时、有效的援助,以实现更加全面、更为充分的教育公平。     

EXAMINATIONS IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION‐STATISTICS AND INFERENCES

Many aspects of multiracial education were investigated in a national survey of teachers’ opinions. This first part of a two‐part article reports on those items which covered necessary or desirable changes in the curriculum and other aspects of school life. These include topics such as religious education and assemblies, dress and diet, mother‐tongue teaching, English as a foreign language, racial bias in books, cultural adaptation and adjustment, special language needs of West Indian pupils, and deployment of immigrant teachers and non‐teaching staff.

A total of 510 teachers (171 primary and 339 secondary) from 25 schools responded to the questionnaire. In these schools the overall proportions of pupils of minority ethnic groups ranged from 18 to 84 per cent. Pupils of Asian, Cypriot, Italian and Afro‐Caribbean origin were represented in varying proportions.     

The ethnic minority achievement grant: a critical analysis

This article critically analyses the extent to which the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG) has been successful in meeting its core objective of raising the achievement of minority ethnic groups who are at risk of underachieving. The article provides an historical analysis of the Grant, sets the Grant within the context of the Labour government’s policies relating to minority ethnic groups and social inclusion and reports on the authors’ research into the use made by Local Education Authorities (LEAs) of EMAG based on an analysis of LEA EMAG action plans. It suggests that although there have been some improvements in closing the gaps between minority ethnic achievement and national averages since the introduction of the Grant, these have been largely limited to groups receiving English as an Additional Language (EAL) support, although these groups continue to underachieve. Further the relative achievement of some groups, notably Black Caribbean pupils, has not improved at all since the introduction of the Grant. The article proposes that if the government wishes to more effectively tackle minority ethnic underachievement then it needs to increase the overall amount spent on the Grant, which has been frozen in recent years, and demonstrate more commitment to tackling institutionalized racism within the education system and the national curriculum. Although the government is issuing guidance to schools to address historic weaknesses in the way that the Grant has been deployed, the guidance itself does not go far enough in acknowledging the role of schools and particularly LEAs in tackling underachievement. Nor does the proposed new guidance recognize the importance of including the perspectives of local Black and Asian communities in decisions on how the Grant is deployed.     

Achievement of Black Caribbean pupils: good practice in Lambeth schools

The aim of this research article is to investigate how pupils from Black Caribbean backgrounds are helped to achieve high standards in British schools and to identify a number of significant common themes for success in raising the achievement. It draws evidence of good practice from 13 case study schools in the local education authority (LEA). The main findings of the research carried out show that Key Stage 2 (KS2) and General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) results have improved significantly in the case study schools in the last seven years and all schools are performing above national average with Black Caribbean pupils. The study has also identified a number of good practices in successful schools. Among the key features that contribute to the success in the case study schools for raising the achievement of Black Caribbean are: strong leadership with emphasis on raising expectations for all pupils and teachers; the use of performance data for school self‐evaluation and tracking pupils' performance; a commitment to creating a mesmerising curriculum where teachers use their creative intuition to deepen the quality of pupils' learning; a highly inclusive curriculum that meets the needs of Black Caribbean pupils; a strong link with the community and a clear commitment to parents' involvement; good and well coordinated support to Black Caribbean pupils through extensive use of learning mentors and role models; an inclusive curriculum and a strong commitment to equal opportunities with a clear stand on racism. This article discusses in detail these good practices and pattern of KS2 and GCSE performance by ethnicity to illustrate difference in attainment. Overall, the finding of this case study LEA confirms that in good schools Black Caribbean pupils do well and buck the national trend against all odds. The reasons for this success story are all to do with education provided in the LEA and schools. The implications of the research for all concerned with school improvement receive much attention.     

Exploring the impact of supplementary schools on Black and Minority Ethnic pupils’ mainstream attainment

This paper reports findings from a study commissioned by the (then) Department for Children, Schools and Families. The research mapped the provision, and explored the impact, of supplementary schools and aimed specifically to develop further understanding as to how supplementary schools might raise the attainment of Black and Minority Ethnic pupils. Drawing on a national survey and case study data from 12 supplementary schools, we highlight a range of perceived impacts identified by teachers, pupils and parents and problematise the concept of impact. We identify the unique contribution and impact that supplementary schools make to the mainstream school attainment of pupils from diverse (linguistic, cultural, ethnic) backgrounds. We suggest that there is much to be learnt by the mainstream school sector about the difference supplementary school education makes to minority ethnic children, while questioning whether mainstream indicators of impact should be applied to supplementary schools.     

Primary School Exclusions

Most of the focus of research and debate about school exclusions in the U.K. has been about secondary age pupils, which is not surprising in that secondary school exclusions are much more numerous than at the primary school stage, accounting for approximately 87 per cent of all permanent exclusions (DfE, 1992). However, the research reported here takes the longer view and thus hopes to inform preventative work with primary age children, who are displaying great difficulties in mainstream schools, and special schools. It is based on the hope that there might be more potential for “success” when children are helped earlier. As primary age exclusions are relatively unusual they may present a different order of concern, in relation to the excluded children themselves. This paper will examine evidence about the incidence and nature of primary school exclusions and debate some of the issues which make these exclusions a particularly serious focus for concern. The data from a national questionnaire, three regional case studies and 265 excluded children within them, is reported here. The research project was supported by a grant from the Economic and Social Research Council.     

The role of ethnic school segregation for adolescents’ religious salience

Public concerns over the possible effects of school segregation on immigrant and ethnic majority religiosity have been on the rise over the last few years. In this paper we focus on (1) the association between ethnic school composition and religious salience, (2) intergenerational differences in religious salience and (3) the role of ethnic school composition for intergenerational differences in religious salience. We perform analyses on religious salience, one five-point Likert scale item measuring religious salience among 3,612 16-year-old pupils in Belgian secondary schools. National origin was used as a proxy for ethnicity. Ethnic minority pupils in schools with a higher share of ethnic minorities tend to be more religious. This relation holds for Muslim as well as other religious and ethnic minorities. Ethnic school composition also moderates the relationship between migrant generation and religious salience: second generation migrants tend to be more religious in ethnic minority dominated schools. For ethnic Belgians the association is moderated by their religious affiliation: Catholics tend to be more religious, while non-affiliated ethnic Belgians are less religious in schools with a higher share of ethnic minority pupils.     

DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOUR AND EXCLUSIONS FROM SCHOOLS: REDEFINING AND RESPONDING TO THE PROBLEM

Behaviourally challenging pupils are a permanent feature of the education culture in the United Kingdom. The realisation that this is not a temporary phenomenon is an important ‘re‐definition’. The problem should be seen as part of normal provision.

Permanent exclusions from school are rising. Causes of behaviour leading to exclusion should not be assumed to originate within the child. Re‐definition requires recognition of their difficulties.

’Market economy’ and stretched resources militate against the ability of schools to implement recommended measures. There are issues for decision‐makers at all levels including targeting resources. Projects show exclusion is costly and damaging. The funding of preventative schemes would enable teachers to teach and not deny pupils their educational rights.     

The cost of school exclusion in England

Legislation in England and Wales since 1986 has sanctioned the permanent exclusion from school of pupils deemed disruptive. This punitive step has costs attached, which rise each year as the numbers excluded increase. This paper is mostly devoted to developing and applying a model to estimate the costs to public services of school exclusion in England. It also provides some illustrative cost data on the inclusion of behaviourally challenging pupils, explores policy alternatives to exclusion and argues that cost data provide valuable information in debate about policy options. Based on data gathered for the Commission for Racial Equality, the paper considers the costs to the full range of agencies involved when a child or young person is permanently excluded from school. Costs related to individuals vary hugely, but the average costs to education are high—double normal mainstream education—for less than 10 per cent of a full‐time education in the first year of exclusion. The costs to other agencies, particularly the police, are high. It is estimated that the cost in England of permanently excluded pupils in 1995/96 were approximately £71 million, and in 1996/97 over £81 million. As well as actual costs associated with permanent exclusions from school, consideration must be given to the returns on that expenditure. Currently the returns are poor, and the longer‐term costs may be high if continued full‐time education is not assured for young people to equip them to become citizens.     

Responses to cultural diversity in Botswana’s schools: links between national policy,school actions and students’ civic equality

This article examines nation state policies that have prioritized toleration of diversity over recognition through comparative case studies of three junior secondary schools in Botswana. Through data collected in observations, focus groups, interviews and participatory action research, we demonstrate how the schools, which varied in the ethnic composition of their students, teachers and surrounding communities, responded differently to the reality of their multicultural student bodies. Two followed national policies closely, while the third crafted school-level policies adapted to its student population, yet tightly constricted by national policies and curriculum. In all three schools, students of ethnic minority backgrounds experienced varying degrees of shame, discrimination and a sense of exclusion from the nation and found little recourse to discuss and address these experiences within the structures of their schools. We argue that schools could better develop students’ capacity for equal citizenship were they supported by national education policies and curriculum to recognize the cultural, historical and linguistic diversity of Botswana’s ethnic minorities explicitly in schools.     

Exclusion from school in Scotland and across the UK: Contrasts and questions

This article draws on findings from the first cross-national study of school exclusion in the four jurisdictions of the UK. It casts new light on the crucial aspects of children's education that lead to school exclusion. It investigates the reasons for the UK disparities, as well as the policy and practice in place. The focus of this article is on a detailed analysis of the policy context in Scotland, where official permanent exclusion reduced to an all-time low of just five cases in 2014/15. This is much lower than in Northern Ireland and Wales and in stark contrast to England, where exclusions have increased substantially since 2012. Our analysis seeks to understand Scotland's success in reducing exclusion and offers new insight into the ways in which national policies and local factors more generally shape schools and their practices and the consequent impacts for children and young people more broadly in the UK.     

The Protection of a Statement? Permanent exclusions and the SEN Code of Practice

The number of pupils with Statements who are permanently excluded from school has been identified as an issue in several national studies. This paper reports on a small-scale research project within one local education authority (LEA), aimed at identifying common factors and issues around the exclusion of Statemented pupils from mainstream schools. Key findings include a high rate of significant literacy and numeracy difficulties in the sample, limited communication between some schools and LEA support services, the schools' predominant use of Statements to provide in-class support from a learning support assistant rather than other more targeted interventions, and teachers' perceptions that no amount of increased funding through the Statement would have prevented the exclusion.     

Ethnic Minority and Gender Distribution Among Staff and Pupils in Facilities for Pupils with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties in England and Wales

This article describes the ethnic and gender make up of a substantial (60%+) sample of the staff and pupil population of schools and units for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties in England and Wales. The data presented is taken from a questionnaire survey. This is the first large sample study of this topic to be conducted in educational establishments of this type in England and Wales. Notable findings are: (1) the imbalance in gender distribution in these facilities, with the boys far outweighing the number of girls; (2) the over representation of pupils of Afro‐Caribbean origin, particularly among the boys; and (3) the under representation of teachers from ethnic minorities among the teaching staff in these schools. These findings are shown to be generally consistent with the findings of related studies, and are discussed in terms of social and educational issues.     

Education without a shared language: dynamics of inclusion and exclusion in Norwegian introductory classes for newly arrived minority language students

Based upon fieldwork in two upper secondary schools in Norway, this article offers an analysis of inclusion and exclusion processes for newly arrived minority language students. Minority language students are defined by policy as students who have a different mother tongue than the Norwegian and Sami languages, and students who are newly arrived in Norway are considered especially at risk for marginalisation. This article explores processes of inclusion and exclusion in two schools with segregated classes for this group, called introductory classes. The analytical framework is Niklas Luhmann’s theory of autopoietic social systems, where inclusion is defined as the requirements for participation set by a system, and exclusion accordingly as being unable to meet these requirements. The article displays different constellations of inclusions and exclusions for newly arrived students in the educational system: in school organisations, organisation-based interactions and informal networks of students. It will be showed that introductory classes erect several barriers towards newly arrived students’ inclusion, especially towards those students who are placed at the basic level of the schools’ hierarchy of performances. As a consequence of multiple educational exclusions, informal networks emerge as alternative socialities that include and exclude students on the basis of mother tongue.     

Do some schools narrow the gap? Differential school effectiveness by ethnicity,gender, poverty,and prior achievement

This study analyses the educational progress of an entire national cohort of over 530,000 pupils in England between age 7 in 2000 and age 11 in 2004. The results show that Black Caribbean boys not entitled to free school meals, and particularly the more able pupils, made significantly less progress than their White British peers. There is no evidence that the gap results from Black Caribbean pupils attending less effective schools. There is also no evidence of differential effectiveness in relation to ethnic group; schools that were strong in facilitating the progress of White British pupils were equally strong in facilitating the progress of Black Caribbean pupils. There was some evidence of differential school effectiveness by pupil prior achievement, gender, and poverty, but the absolute sizes of the effects were small. The results suggest the poor progress of Black Caribbean pupils reflects a systemic issue rather than the influence of a small number of “low quality” schools.     

English language acquisition and educational attainment at the end of primary school

This paper analyses the national key stage 2 test results for 2300 11‐year‐old pupils in an inner London LEA. A range of concurrent pupil background data was also collected, including whether pupils spoke English as an additional language (EAL), and if so, their stage of fluency in English. EAL pupils at the early stages (1–3) of developing fluency had significantly lower KS2 test scores in all subjects than their monolingual peers. However, EAL pupils who were fully fluent in English achieved significantly higher scores in all KS2 tests than their monolingual peers. The negative association with attainment for the early stages of fluency remained significant after controls for a range of other pupil characteristics, including age, gender, free school meal entitlement, stage of special educational need and ethnic group, although these factors effectively explained the higher attainment of the ‘fully fluent’ group. We conclude that EAL is not itself a good guide to levels of attainment, and a measure of stage of English fluency is necessary to interpret associations with test performance. Alternative measures which focus only on the very early stages of English proficiency, such as the QCA ‘language in common’ steps, are inadequate to assess the impact of bilingualism for all but the very earliest learners of English. Given the uneven distribution of EAL pupils across the country, those schools and local education authorities with high concentrations of pupils in the early stages of learning English are likely to be adversely affected in school achievement and attainment tables. The policy implications for national data collection and for the use of such data are considered.     

Teacher assignment,hiring, and preparation: Minority teachers in New York City

This article examines issues related to minority teachers in New York City. Although increasing proportions of teachers hired in the last decade are black, Hispanic, or Asian, the gap between proportions of pupils and teachers remains due to increases in minority pupils. There are strong correlations between proportions of teachers and pupils in districts within racial and ethnic groups. The converse is also true; there are strong negative correlations between black and Hispanic teachers, for example, and percent of white and Asian pupils. Districts with larger proportions of minority pupils tend to have more emergency new teachers, fewer fully certified teachers, and fewer experienced teachers. Only 58% of the new black or Hispanic teachers, compared with 82% of white teachers, indicated they intend to remain in teaching after five years. Interviews with personnel directors suggest there are no systematic constraints on selection processes. New minority teachers queried about their job-search practices suggest somewhat more frustration with the process and less use of local leads than white teachers. Together these data suggest that the ability to increase the number of minority teachers is a more complex problem than recruitment and training. Moreover, minority pupils do not appear to have equal access to experienced and fully qualified teachers.