Ethnicity and Educational Performance in the United Kingdom: Racism, Ethnicity, and Variability in Achievement

This article examines recent research on the variability of educational performance in Britain. The composition of Britain's minority population is reviewed, followed by a discussion of differences in attainment. The bulk of the article explores some of the social processes that lie behind the statistics, especially concerning teacher racism and student adaptations. The possibilities for improvement at the school level are considered briefly within the context of national reforms that prioritize market principles and marginalize equality concerns.