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

Type of school, labelling and teacher expectations

Type of school attended

• Research suggests that the type of school attended can strongly influence educational outcomes

• Several factors can significantly impact achievement, such as:

  • teaching quality

  • resources available

  • equal opportunities policies

• Minority ethnic students who attend high-performing schools tend to achieve as well as, or better than, White students in the same schools

• This suggests that school context, not ethnicity alone, plays a crucial role in determining success

Labelling and teacher expectations

• Some sociologists argue that teachers’ stereotypes and expectations are based not just on academic ability, but on ethnicity, social class and gender

• Teachers may hold positive stereotypes of some groups:

  • Chinese and Indian pupils are often seen as hard-working and capable

  • Asian girls may be viewed as quiet, obedient and passive

• However, Black Caribbean students, particularly boys, are often labelled as disruptive or aggressive

• Teachers’ low expectations can lead to students receiving less encouragement or academic challenge, reducing motivation and achievement

• According to interactionist theory, such labelling can produce a self-fulfilling prophecy — pupils internalise teachers’ negative expectations and underachieve as a result

Racism and prejudice in schools

• Research shows that Black pupils are disciplined more often and more harshly than pupils from other groups

• A government review (Timpson, 2019) found that Black Caribbean pupils were around 1.7 times more likely to be permanently excluded than White British pupils, even after other factors such as poverty were taken into account

• Some teachers may hold both conscious and unconscious prejudices about Black children’s behaviour and ability

• This is linked to stereotypes, leading to lower expectations and greater conflict between teachers and pupils

• Studies show some teachers view Black boys as potential troublemakers, which can increase tension and damage relationships in the classroom

Institutional racism

• Some sociologists argue that schools and colleges can unintentionally discriminate against ethnic minority students through their structures, policies and practices

• Institutional racism occurs when an organisation’s rules or routines disadvantage people based on race or culture, even without deliberate intent

• Some examples of institutional racism include:

  • higher exclusion rates: Black Caribbean pupils are almost twice as likely to be permanently excluded as the average pupil (about 22 in every 10,000 compared with 12 in every 10,000, England, 2024/25)

  • uniform or appearance rules that clash with certain cultural or religious practices (e.g. hairstyles, head coverings)

    • The Equality and Human Rights Commission has issued guidance warning schools that banning hairstyles such as afros, braids and cornrows can be race discrimination

  • banding and streaming systems that place minority ethnic pupils in lower sets than White pupils of similar ability

• These are aspects of school life that may affect the achievement of some ethnic minorities

The ethnocentric curriculum

• The National Curriculum has been criticised for being ethnocentric — biased towards White, European culture and history

  • In Wales, teaching Black, Asian and minority ethnic histories has been mandatory in the Curriculum for Wales since September 2022, the first UK nation to do this

• Sociologists argue that this reflects the values of British culture while ignoring or undervaluing the contributions of non-European cultures

• Examples include:

  • teaching of English literature, art, music and history that focuses on White British achievement

  • history lessons that glorify the British Empire and ignore colonialism and the histories of Black and Asian people

  • few opportunities to study non-European languages or authors

  • textbooks and resources that exclude or stereotype minority ethnic groups

• This can make ethnic minority pupils feel alienated, undervalued or invisible, leading to low self-esteem and reduced engagement

Evaluation of school factors

• Not all pupils accept negative labels

  • Some labelled pupils reject teachers’ low expectations and work harder to prove them wrong

  • This shows that individual agency and resilience can counteract labelling effects

• Variation within ethnic groups

  • It’s important not to generalise — not all pupils within an ethnic group share the same experiences

  • E.g. while some Black Caribbean boys may underachieve, others succeed academically and go on to higher education

• Institutional racism is hard to measure

  • While exclusion rates and setting patterns point to bias, it can be difficult to prove intentional discrimination

  • Critics argue that not all differences result from racism — class and behaviour differences also play a role