A new study has found that 'institutional racism' by teachers towards black Caribbean students in secondary schools can significantly undermine their chances of academic success.
There is evidence to suggest teachers routinely under-estimate the abilities of some black pupils based on assumptions of behavioural problems, such as confrontational attitudes, which overshadows the student's real academic talent, leaving teachers to expect students to under-achieve.
For example, teachers enter students to sit higher-tier exams in English and Maths at the age of 14, where their performance affects the type of GCSEs they take in the future. However, white students were significantly more likely to be entered for the top tiers than black Caribbean, Pakistani, black African or Bangladeshi students.
For most student backgrounds the differences can be explained by a number of factors, such as the student's previous results, the level of education achieved by their mothers etc. However, no explanation was provided for a third of the most capable black Caribbean pupils being excluded from higher tier papers at 14.
Instead, what was found for black Caribbean pupils was 'for every three white British pupils entered for the higher tiers, only two black Caribbean pupils are entered.' The author of the study, Dr Steve Strand from Warwick University, explains this discrepancy as 'institutional racism', based on disproportionate organisational arrangements negatively impacting some ethnic groups, resulting from a low expectation of the students by teachers.
Tony Sewell, an education consultant, challenged the author's conclusion by stating that there is "a link between behaviour and academic outcome. It doesn't mean that's evidence of institutional racism. It's evidence that we need to address properly the complex reasons why black Caribbean pupils behave badly. We can't just say it's white racist teachers."
Further details of the study can be found here.
I have a situation right now with my 14year old son. He is an honor roll student have been for the whole school year because of the effort we've made at home. His reading teacher had a class project that was done in class, which I had constantly asked him about. He could not come up with the project in class the day she asked them to take it home and complete it. She was told but made no effort in contacting us the parents. This project was due 6/15/09 and he did not turn in the project. She did not call to inform me or my husband of this but call on 6/18/09 to tell me that she will be giving him a C because the project was not turn in. I when to the school and was basically told by the vice principal that she did all she could do. It is so sad that this happens with our children because of the race they come from.