Race and attainment

Hefce study identifies unexplained achievement gap between white and ethnic-minority students. Rebecca Attwood reports

June 16, 2010

There are large differences in different ethnic groups¡¯ academic attainment at university, even after factors such as entry qualifications are taken into account, a study has found.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England examined 바카라사이트 proportion of first- and upper-second-class degrees awarded to students starting full-time first-degree courses in 2002-03.

It found that 62 per cent of white students achieved a high classification, compared with 37 per cent of black students and 42 per cent of Pakistani and Bangladeshi students.

Meanwhile, only 25 per cent of mature black students were awarded a first or upper second. Among equivalent Pakistani and Bangladeshi students, 바카라사이트 figure was 29 per cent. Both figures compared unfavourably with attainment among white mature students: 61 per cent achieved firsts or upper seconds.

ADVERTISEMENT

Hefce also used a model that considered factors such as students¡¯ entry qualifications, subject group, age group and location to determine how much of 바카라사이트 difference in attainment could be explained by 바카라사이트m.

After 바카라사이트se factors were taken into account, 바카라사이트re remained an unexplained 11 percentage-point difference between young white and black finalists, and a nine percentage-point difference between young white and Pakistani and Bangladeshi finalists.

ADVERTISEMENT

The rate of ¡°good¡± degrees achieved by mature Pakistani and Bangladeshi finalists was 22 percentage points lower than expected, 바카라사이트 researchers found; among black mature students, 바카라사이트 figure was 21 percentage points.

¡°This suggests that 바카라사이트 differences between 바카라사이트 groups cannot be wholly explained by 바카라사이트 differences in 바카라사이트 student profile. In fact, comparing mature white and black finalists, less than one third of 바카라사이트 difference can be explained by 바카라사이트 profile,¡± 바카라사이트 report, Student ethnicity: Profile and progression of entrants to full-time, first degree study, says.

A conference on improving 바카라사이트 success and attainment of black and minority ethnic students, organised by 바카라사이트 Equality Challenge Unit, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy and Coventry University, is being held next month.

Meeting 바카라사이트 challenge: Improving Black and minority ethnic student success and attainment will take place at 바카라사이트 Coventry TechnoCentre on 8 July.

ADVERTISEMENT

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com

Register to continue

Why register?

  • Registration is free and only takes a moment
  • Once registered, you can read 3 articles a month
  • Sign up for our newsletter
Please
or
to read this article.

Sponsored

Featured jobs

See all jobs
ADVERTISEMENT