Rampton (1981)

Notes on the text

Preliminary pages Membership, Contents, Preface, Introduction

Chapter 1 Evidence of underachievement

Chapter 2 Factors contributing to underachievement

Chapter 3 Support for schools and teachers

Chapter 4 Programme for action

Appendices

Interim report of the Committee of Inquiry into the education of children from ethnic minority groups

Chairman: Anthony Rampton OBE

Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Education and Science by Command of Her Majesty June 1981

Cmnd. 8273

London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office 1981
© Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.

Chapter 1 The evidence of underachievement
[pages 6 - 10]

1. Concern about West Indian children and their performance at school was expressed as long ago as the early 1960s. For instance, in 1963 a study by Brent LEA found the performance of West Indian children was, on average, much lower than that of white children in reading, arithmetic and spelling. In 1965, a study carried out by Vernon (1) comparing West Indians in London and Hertfordshire showed similar results, and in 1966 and 1968 Little's studies (2) of the reading standards of nine year olds in the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) showed that West Indian children were performing less well at primary school than white children from the same socio-economic backgrounds. (The findings of the 1980 survey of the reading attainment of these children at 15+ is discussed in detail in chapter two). A study undertaken in Redbridge in 1978 (3) also showed considerable underachievement by West Indian children in reading in relation to their white peers.

School leavers survey exercise

2. It was important for us in preparing this report to obtain some specific statistical data to establish the extent of the academic underachievement of West Indian children. The DES Statistics Branch therefore included for us in their school leavers survey for 1978/79 for six LEAs (covering approximately half of the school leavers from ethnic minorities in this country) a question on the ethnic origin of the leavers (4).

3. We summarise below the conclusions of this exercise and give the comparative figures for all maintained school leavers in England (5).

CSE and O Level achievements in English (6) and mathematics

Tables A and B show the percentage distribution by broad level of achievement at CSE and O Level in English and mathematics. In English 9 per cent of West Indians scored higher grades compared with 21 per cent of Asians (for many of whom English may have been a second language) and 29 per cent of other leavers in these LEAs. In mathematics 5 per cent of West Indians scored higher grades compared with 19 per cent of other leavers.

*Grades A-C at O Level and grade 1 CSE.

*Grades A-C at O Level and grade 1 CSE.

All CSE and O Level achievements

Table C shows the percentage distribution by broad levels of achievement in all CSE and O Level examinations. The most striking feature in this table is that 3 per cent of West Indians obtained 5 or more higher grades compared with 18 per cent of Asians and 16 per cent of other leavers. The comparative percentages of leavers from different ethnic minority groups gaining 'at least one graded result but less than five higher grades' do not give a reliable picture of the achievement of the 'middle band' of achievers since this category ranges from pupils gaining one graded CSE result to those gaining four higher grades at O Level. From what we have seen in schools however, we believe that the majority of the 81 per cent of West Indians fall at the lower end of the range of achievement.

A Level achievements

Table D shows that 2 per cent of West Indians gained one or more A Level pass compared with 13 per cent of Asians and 12 per cent of other leavers.

Destination and type of course to be followed

Table E shows that 1 per cent of West Indians went on to university compared with 3 per cent of Asians and 3 per cent of other leavers.

Table F shows that 1 per cent of West Indians went on to full time degree courses in further education compared with 5 per cent of Asians and 4 per cent of other leavers.

Comparison with Asian leavers

4. This exercise provided us with some data about Asian school leavers in these LEAs. At this stage in our work we are not in a position to evaluate this information or to take into account the complex network of similarities and differences that would allow us to draw comparisons between the achievement of Asian and West Indian pupils. In the next two years we shall be looking at the achievement of children from all ethnic minority groups and we shall be able to use this information as a starting point in this task.

Dr Driver's research

5. While we were considering the evidence on underachievement an article appeared in New Society (7) suggesting that West Indian girls achieved better than West Indian boys at school and in some cases both West Indian boys and girls achieved better than their white classmates. The article attracted considerable publicity and was frequently referred to on our visits. We therefore took the opportunity of meeting Dr Driver and looked in further detail at the full report of his findings (8). This indicated that the findings in the oversimplified presentation in New Society, which had attracted so much interest, were not substantiated. The NFER review we commissioned deals with Driver's research in detail and stated that '... generalisations on a national scale could not be made as a result of this study because the pupils involved were not a representative sample since relevant records were often not available, either from a larger number of LEAs which had initially been approached, or from within the schools themselves. In addition it was admitted that it was not possible to compare one school with another on progressive measures of attainment or even one pupil-generation in the same school with another'. And 'Although, it is true, he (Dr Driver) acknowledges the limitations of the study ... it is also fair to point out that he does draw educational conclusions on the basis of statistical evidence which in many cases is found wanting in statistical terms.'

6. We recognise that the aims of education range beyond academic achievement and embrace concepts such as the personal development of the child and the fostering of self-respect and respect for others. While it is not possible to measure the extent to which children are achieving or underachieving in these respects, we have been continually aware of these factors on our visits and they are reflected in our conclusions. The evidence summarised in this section shows that many West Indian pupils are underachieving in relation to their peers, not least in obtaining the examination qualifications needed to give them equality of opportunity in the employment market and to enable them to take advantage of the range of post school opportunities available.

7. While we accept that there will perhaps always be some children who will underachieve and for various reasons will fail to reach their full potential, our concern is that West Indian children as a group are underachieving in our education system. We recognise that this might be seen as a broad generalisation: some West Indians are achieving results comparable with or indeed higher than those of their peers. We have met a group of West Indians, currently studying in higher education, all of whom said that they had faced particular obstacles and difficulties in the course of their education which they had had to overcome to reach higher education. We hope for our main report to be able to look into these difficulties and the particular circumstances which have led these and other West Indians to be academically successful.

Footnotes

(1) 'Environmental handicaps and intellectual development'. Vernon (1965).

(2) 'The education of immigrant pupils in inner London primary schools'. Little et al (1968).

(3) 'Cause for Concern: West Indian pupils in Redbridge'. Black Peoples Progressive Association and Redbridge Community Relations Council (April 1978).

(4) The DES school leavers survey collects data on the education qualifications, age on leaving school and first destination of a 10 per cent sample of all school leavers in a given academic year. For the 1978/79 survey, six LEAs with high concentrations of children from ethnic minority groups agreed to ask all maintained secondary schools in their areas to provide information on an ethnic basis for the committee. Information was obtained on 1,403 Asian, African or West Indian school leavers of whom 799 were West Indian.

(5) As the results are based on a sample survey they are subject to sampling variations but the main differences shown are significant even allowing for these variations. The figures are rounded to the nearest whole percentage and the sum of the constituent parts does not therefore always equal 100 per cent.

(6) CSE English and GCE O Level English Language.

(7) 'How West Indians do better at school (especially the girls)'. Driver G, New Society, January 1980.

(8) 'Beyond Underachievement'. Case studies of English, West Indian and Asian school leavers at 16+. CRE 1980.