The barriers to achievement for White/Black Caribbean pupils in English schools

Bibliographic Data

ID11167208
AuthorsJo Haynes (0000-0002-7462-8859, University of Bristol, corresponding author), Leon Tikly (0000-0003-0697-524X, University of Bristol), Chamion Caballero (University of Bristol)
Year2006
Volume27
Issue5
Pages569-583
Publication date2006-11-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueBritish Journal of Sociology of Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0142-5692 • E-ISSN: 1465-3346
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01425690600958766
OpenAlexW2025759772
LanguageEN
Citations received10
References cited12

Pupils of White and Black Caribbean descent make up the largest category of mixed heritage pupils in the United Kingdom. As a group they are at risk of underachieving and are proportionally over‐represented in school exclusions. Yet little is known to date about the barriers to their achievement. The common‐sense explanation for their underachievement is often in relation to the perception that mixed‐heritage people are more likely to have 'identity problems' and low self‐esteem because of their mixed backgrounds. In some cases, this view is further compounded by low teacher expectations associated with the socio‐economic background and household structure of some mixed heritage pupils. By drawing on qualitative data from recent research,Footnote 1 this article will explore the barriers to achievement faced by White/Black Caribbean pupils in English schools. We argue that although White/Black Caribbean pupils are likely to experience a similar set of barriers to achievement as Black Caribbean pupils, there are important distinctions to be made. The specific barriers to achievement identified for White/Black Caribbean pupils derive from socio‐economic disadvantage, low teacher expectation linked to misunderstandings of mixed heritage identities and backgrounds, and the behavioural issues and attitudes towards achievement linked to peer group pressures. They would like to also express their sincere thanks to all pupils, parents, teachers and LEA personnel who agreed to take part in the project. Notes 1. See Tikly et al. (Citation2004). 2. The PLASC data uses four main categories of mixed heritage; namely, White/Black Caribbean, White/Black African, White/Asian and any other mixed background. 3. We use 'achievement' here to refer to a systemic phenomenon, which results from the relative ineffectiveness of the education system in helping certain individuals and groups to make appropriate progress. 4. Free school meals is used here as a proxy indicator of socio‐economic background. 5. There is a growing consensus that the racialisation of social and cultural processes experienced by certain groups of mixed‐heritage people, who are often perceived as Black, are more acute than for others. For example, White/Black Caribbean people are subject to a set of prejudices and negative stereotypes that are connected to their specific racialisation in ways that people with mixed French and English heritages, for example, are not. Hence, there is a sense in which the term 'mixed heritage' does not capture the experiences of being White/Black Caribbean in Britain, and is currently perceived as a more bureaucratic term. For this reason, and given the dominant focus on mixed White/Black Caribbean pupils within our study, where necessary in this article we use either 'mixed race' or 'mixed heritage'. 6. There are four Key Stages and tests taken at the end of each Key Stage, at ages 7, 11, 14 and 16 (DfES, Citation2005). 7. A full analysis of the performance data relating to mixed‐heritage pupils is provided elsewhere (Tikly et al., Citation2004). 8. The latest statistics on permanent school exclusions (DfES, Citation2004) show that White/Black Caribbean and White/Black African pupils are over‐represented when compared with their numbers in the school population. In 2002/03 the permanent exclusion rate for White/Black Caribbean pupils was 2.9 per 1000 pupils, for White/Black African pupils was 2.6 per 1000 and for White Asians was 1.1 per 1000. For Black Caribbean pupils the permanent exclusion rate was 3.7 per 1000 pupils. This compares with 1.2 per 1000 for White pupils and an average of 1.3 per 1000 for all pupils. 9. See http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000454/index.shtml 10. See Verbian (Citation2003)

Academic achievement · Disadvantage · Ethnic group · Generosity · Identity (music · Pedagogy · Political science · Socioeconomic status · Sociology · White (mutation · Demography · Education Systems and Policy · Gender Studies · Parental Involvement in Education · Psychology · School Choice and Performance · Social Psychology

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub