New figures from the Department for Education and Skills show that Black Caribbean children are still three times more likely than White children to be permanently excluded from school in England. The overall number of exclusions has also increased for the second year running. In the 2001 to 2002 school year, there were an estimated
Theme: Managed migration
Research finds racism against overseas teachers
New research into the training of overseas teachers reports that they are often unprepared for the racism they face and that school staff do not do enough to counter pupil prejudice and develop an equality ethos within schools. Because of teacher shortages in the UK, recruitment of teachers is taking place in Western and Eastern
What happened to my son?
‘I sent him to the airport; he was so excited! It will be his first time living apart from us. I am proud of him and the next time we meet he will be a man!’ – Mr Lee was thinking as he saw his son, Lee Kyung Woon (also known as Michael), off to
Crisis of black underachievement in London schools
Nearly 2,500 delegates participated in the second conference on the underachievement of black pupils in London schools on Saturday 10 May 2003. Opening the conference, Diane Abbott MP said that GCSE pass rates of black pupils were getting worse and now bordered on catastrophic. She urged the conference to seek practical solutions and develop a
Gangsters for life?
A new youth work video explores the myths and realities of Bengali ‘gangs’ in Tower Hamlets, east London. Claire Alexander, the author of a book on Asian gangs, discusses her involvement in the project. It is now nearly two years since the outbreak of unrest that scarred previously forgotten towns and communities across the midlands
Black Caribbean pupils at the bottom in GCSE league
New official figures reveal a disturbing gap between the performance of black Caribbean pupils in GCSE exams and pupils of other ethnic backgrounds. The annual pupil census, implemented in 2002, makes it possible, for the first time, to monitor the achievement of black and ethnic minority pupils in a consistent way, locally and nationally. The
Education
Education and racism Education is seen by many minority ethnic families as the route out of deprivation and discrimination for their children. But, despite this high premium put on education, some groups seem to fare worse than others. When post-war immigrants first came here, there was clear evidence of discriminatory practices (such as the bussing
Using the HomeBeats multimedia software with young black children
A pilot at the Khandaani Dhek Bhal project, Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, August 1998 Aims and Objectives All children need to be valued for who they are. Strong identity and feelings of self-worth are crucial in child development. Academic research on black* children’s self-esteem and self-image has shown that, from a young age, black children are
Behind Glasgow’s Gangs
The details of Imran’s fatal stabbing are now sub judice as several youths have been arrested. But his family are now considering action against the hospital after a post-mortem revealed that he died of septicaemia, not of his stab wounds. The police too, are the subject of complaints that they did not carry out forensic
Getting through? New approaches to tackling youth racism
At the front line of new initiatives are youth workers. The voluntary relationship between youth worker and ‘client’ (as opposed to the official relationship between teacher and pupil) provides a unique environment for tackling racism. An informal and more personal relationship can develop, giving the youth worker room for manoeuvre denied to the teacher. On