Excellence, equality and educational reform: The myth of South Asian achievement levels¹

The term ‘South Asian’ has been used to refer to those individuals whose families originate from the South Asian sub‐continent and who may have migrated to the UK from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or East Africa.

Abstract

It has been alleged that South Asian pupils are achieving as well as their white peers in the British education system. This article critically reviews existing literature and provides evidence from a study examining the experiences in schooling of a sample of South Asian and white British university undergraduates. It is clear that when the actual process of attainment, as opposed to quantifiable examination results, are compared, the education received by the South Asian sample may be seen as highly unsatisfactory. The implications of the 1988 Education Reform Act for the education of black and Asian children are also considered.

Notes

The term ‘South Asian’ has been used to refer to those individuals whose families originate from the South Asian sub‐continent and who may have migrated to the UK from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or East Africa.