1. Ethnicity and Differential Achievement
Summary

2. Ethnic minority “categories” are problematic
Reid suggests that “Asian” and “Afro Caribbean” are too broad to be useful
Many minorities are not even included in existing research
Much evidence in this area relies on small scale studies leaving questions as to how representative such research is

3. The evidence seems contradictory
Black children suffer disadvantage in and out of school
Afro Caribbean boys appear often in the lowest sets, on SEN registers, and in suspension and exclusion statistics
Bangladeshi and Pakistani groups also experience clear disadvantage

4. However
Asian children (especially Indian) achieve more than their white peers
Afro Caribbean girls are becoming particularly successful in schools as they resist negative labels and work hard (Fuller 1980)

5. Explanatory Theories
Material and cultural deprivation and labelling theories have been forwarded to explain these trends.
In school factors have been studied at length as has the role of religion
However it is dangerous to assume that all members of an ethnic group have similar attitudes, values and experiences