Equal Opportunity Issues in the Context of the National Curriculum: a black perspective

This article examines the context and content of the National Curriculum documentation published so far within the framework of educational debates on the education of black children (black referring to non‐white). In particular it focuses on the interpretation of equal opportunities, the proposed strategies for implementation within the National Curriculum, and the prospects for success because of the other changes brought about by the 1988 Education Reform Act (ERA). The main conclusion is that in some respects more appears to have been achieved than would have seemed possible in the early stages of the debates relating to ERA; on the other hand, there is a probability that an education system that provides true equal opportunities for groups and individuals currently being denied that will remain more of a hope than a reality. The article concludes that equality of opportunity is still a long way off, especially from a black perspective.