ETHNIC DIFFERENCES IN ACHIEVEMENT

                                           EXTERNAL FACTORS

Bereiter and Englemann - consider language spoken by low-income black American families as inadequate for educational succes. Ungrammatical, disjointed and incapable of expressing abstract ideas

Children who don't speak English at home may be held back educationally. Official stats show that this is not a major factor. Example, in 2010 pupils with English as first language only 3.2 points ahead of those with English as first language (55.2% to 52.0%) when it came to gaining five GCSE A*-C passes inc. English and Maths

Gillborn and Mirza (2000) - Indian pupils do very well despite often not having English as home language

                                           ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Cult. dep. theorists see lack of motivation as major cause of failure of many clack children. Most children socialised into mainstream culture, instills ambition, competitiveness and willingness to make sacrifies necessary to achieve long-term goals.

Contrast, black pupils socialised into subculture that instils a fatalistic attitude that does not value education and leaves them unequiped for success.

                                FAMILY STRUCTURE AND PARENTAL SUPPORT

Failure to socialise children adequately is result of dysfunctional family structure.

Daniel Moynihan (1965) - because many black families headed by lone mother, children deproved of adequate care because she has to struggle financially in the absence of a male breadwinner. Boys lack role model of male achievement. Moynihan sees cult. dep. as cycle where inadequately socialised children from unstable families go on to fail at school and become inadequate parents themselves

NEW RIGHT - CHARLES MURRAY (1984) - high rate of lone parenthood and lack of positive male role models lead to underachievement of some minorities

ROGER SCRUTON (1986) - sees low achievement levels of some ethnic minorities as reulting from failure to embrace mainstream British culture

KEN PRYCE (1979) - family structure as contributing to underachievement of black Caribbean pupils in Britain. Comparison of black and Asian pupils, Asians are higher achievers as their culture is more resistant to racism and gives them a greater sense of self-worth

CONTRAST - black, Caribbean culture is less cohesive and less resistant to racism. Result, many black pupils have low self-esteem and underachieve

PRYCE argues difference is is reult of the differing impact of colonialism on two groups. Experience of slavery was culturally devastating for blacks. Being transported and sold into slavery meant they lost their language, religion and entire family system. CONTRAST, Asian family structures, languages and religion not destroyed by colonial rule

                                    SEWELL: FATHERS, GANGS AND CULTURE

Unlike Murray, Tony Sewell (2009) argues it is not absence of fathers as role models that leads…