Ethnicity & Education: The Importance of Material Factors (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology): Revision Note

Statistics show that students from some minority ethnic groups (such as Chinese and Indian) achieve better results in public examinations than others (such as Black Caribbean and Pakistani)

• E.g. in England in 2026, the average Attainment 8 score was 66.4 for Chinese pupils and 59.6 for Indian pupils, compared with 46.2 for all pupils and 39.1 for Black Caribbean pupils (DfE, provisional)

Research shows that some of the differences in achievement between ethnic groups may reflect social class differences

White British boys on free school meals are among the lowest-achieving groups; only Gypsy/Roma and Irish Traveller pupils do worse

However, gaps between ethnic groups have changed over time, e.g. since 2019 Black and Asian pupils’ average GCSE scores have risen, while White pupils’ scores have fallen slightly (DfE, 2026)

One problem is that in some studies, the categories used to classify ethnic groups are too general

• Studies using the term 'Asian' would not allow us to see the differences in achievement between Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi students

An additional issue is that the majority of the statistics generated do not enable us to investigate the potential impact of social class background on the achievement of different ethnic groups

Students from some minority ethnic groups — such as Black Caribbean and Bangladeshi pupils — are more likely to experience material deprivation than White British pupils

Educational underachievement can result from economic factors such as poor housing and low income, as:

• around 65% of Bangladeshi, 59% of Pakistani and 49% of Black children live in low-income households (after housing costs), compared with 24% of White British children (DWP, 2021 to 2024)

• ethnic minorities are twice as likely to be unemployed (6% compared with 3% of White people, 2022)

Contributing factors include:

• living in areas with high unemployment or low-paid work

• having foreign qualifications that are not recognised in the UK

• racial discrimination in the labour and housing markets

These inequalities are reflected in the proportion of children from ethnic minority groups eligible for free school meals (FSM)

Indian pupils, whose achievements are generally above average, tend to come from more affluent families

Therefore, when comparing ethnic differences in educational achievement, it is essential to consider social class and economic inequalities

FSM comparisons

• African-Caribbean pupils on free school meals sometimes perform better than White pupils from similar economic backgrounds

• This shows that material deprivation alone cannot explain all differences in attainment between ethnic groups

Community and cultural factors

• In Tower Hamlets (London), Bangladeshi pupils have achieved significant success

• Researchers suggest this may be due to schools employing Bangladeshi teachers who understand students’ language and culture, helping them to engage more confidently in learning

• This shows how cultural understanding and inclusive school practices can reduce the negative effects of material deprivation

Interaction of multiple factors

• While poverty remains a major cause of underachievement, it interacts with cultural, institutional and school-based influences

• Therefore, sociologists argue that a combination of factors must be considered, rather than material deprivation alone, to understand ethnic differences in educational achievement