White British Pupils lagging behind ethnic minority

[ez8004 10]

White British kids have been struggling for a long time now, I've said it on a few threads on here although I've always been shouted down as wrong, my reason is pretty simple and obvious, teachers and classroom assistants are too busy with the kids that don't speak English very well.

 

You are simply wrong. As I have stated before, if that was the case, the ethnic minorities would perform worse which has been proven as wrong.

 

Also, if the teaching staff's time is taken up then the WHOLE class' results would be suppressed and there wouldn't be a differential between the white British children and the rest.

 

Bottom line, the families need to take a more pro-active approach to their children's education and not expect the school to either work miracles or do everything. This becomes a self fulfilling cycle as more successful children go onto higher education themselves and their children consequently do better, as it is well proven that the educational achievements of the parents are extremely influential on the respective child.

 

It isn't rocket science. Just work harder.

[Mister M 1,625]

White British kids have been struggling for a long time now, I've said it on a few threads on here although I've always been shouted down as wrong, my reason is pretty simple and obvious, teachers and classroom assistants are too busy with the kids that don't speak English very well.

 

I think different reports have highlighted that it's specifically white boys that lag behind educationally:

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7777956.stm

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/10281683/British-white-boys-risk-becoming-an-educational-underclass.html

 

If your thesis were true that teachers and teaching assistants were neglecting white British kids, then why is it specifically boys, rather than girls that are said to be doing badly?

[tinfoilhat 11]

You are simply wrong. As I have stated before, if that was the case, the ethnic minorities would perform worse which has been proven as wrong.

 

Also, if the teaching staff's time is taken up then the WHOLE class' results would be suppressed and there wouldn't be a differential between the white British children and the rest.

 

Bottom line, the families need to take a more pro-active approach to their children's education and not expect the school to either work miracles or do everything. This becomes a self fulfilling cycle as more successful children go onto higher education themselves and their children consequently do better, as it is well proven that the educational achievements of the parents are extremely influential on the respective child.

 

It isn't rocket science. Just work harder.

 

And don't despatch kids to the rubbish pile who aren't clever enough to go to university. Further education in this country is a disgrace.

[Guest makapaka]

Ethnic minority groups are not stopping anyone doing well at school.

[ez8004 10]

Also if a parent has been unable to succeed academically how can they help a child with home work.

 

Quite easily. My parents weren't particularly well educated, but they sacrificed a lot to send me to the best independent school they could afford. It worked as I went on to get a 1st in an engineering masters from London and qualified as a chartered engineer. I am forever indebted to my parents for setting the educational foundations for which I can succeed. My brother received the same treatment and he too got a 1st in an engineering masters from London, but he became a secondary school maths teacher. So we are now set to give my child the very best educational support.

 

Where there is a will, there is always a way. It comes down to how much you are willing to pay.

[Mister M 1,625]

You are simply wrong. As I have stated before, if that was the case, the ethnic minorities would perform worse which has been proven as wrong.

 

Also, if the teaching staff's time is taken up then the WHOLE class' results would be suppressed and there wouldn't be a differential between the white British children and the rest.

 

Bottom line, the families need to take a more pro-active approach to their children's education and not expect the school to either work miracles or do everything. This becomes a self fulfilling cycle as more successful children go onto higher education themselves and their children consequently do better, as it is well proven that the educational achievements of the parents are extremely influential on the respective child.

 

It isn't rocket science. Just work harder.

 

I think you've identified some causes. I do wonder whether British boys feel they've got something to aspire to? A whole strata of skilled and semi skilled jobs, traditionally performed by men, which existed until recently are, sadly, no longer there.... I only think this with what's happening in Port Talbot.

[ez8004 10]

And don't despatch kids to the rubbish pile who aren't clever enough to go to university. Further education in this country is a disgrace.

 

Further education in this country is truly world class. It comes down to if you are well informed enough. I personally wouldn't bother going to get a degree unless it is one of the universities in the Russell Group.

[Mister M 1,625]

Quite easily. My parents weren't particularly well educated, but they sacrificed a lot to send me to the best independent school they could afford. It worked as I went on to get a 1st in an engineering masters from London and qualified as a chartered engineer. I am forever indebted to my parents for setting the educational foundations for which I can succeed. My brother received the same treatment and he too got a 1st in an engineering masters from London, but he became a secondary school maths teacher. So we are now set to give my child the very best educational support.

 

Where there is a will, there is always a way. It comes down to how much you are willing to pay.

 

Yes I think that like hundreds of thousands of people like me, I was the first in my immediate family to go to Higher Education. In spite of my parents not going, they were very encouraging of me.

It's sad that money is a factor. A lot of parents just don't have the money.

 

---------- Post added 04-04-2016 at 23:28 ----------

 

Further education in this country is truly world class. It comes down to if you are well informed enough. I personally wouldn't bother going to get a degree unless it is one of the universities in the Russell Group.

 

AFAIK Further education refers to tertiary education (colleges). Higher education refers to universities.

 

---------- Post added 04-04-2016 at 23:29 ----------

 

And don't despatch kids to the rubbish pile who aren't clever enough to go to university. Further education in this country is a disgrace.

 

Well said.

[ez8004 10]

AFAIK Further education refers to tertiary education (colleges). Higher education refers to universities.

 

My bad, didn't read it closely enough.

[Phanerothyme 12]

Tertiary education wasn't in a great state in 1987, and it has improved in places, but collapsed in others.

 

The grade inflation at Russell Group institutions over the last decades proves beyond reasonable doubt that was only ever a marketing exercise.

 

Snobbery sells.

[tinfoilhat 11]

Further education in this country is truly world class. It comes down to if you are well informed enough. I personally wouldn't bother going to get a degree unless it is one of the universities in the Russell Group.

 

I'm not informed then clearly.

 

---------- Post added 04-04-2016 at 23:53 ----------

 

My bad, didn't read it closely enough.

 

Mister M is correct. That's exactly what I meant. The FE college I worked at has been knocked down not 10 years after it had millions thrown at it.

[Anna B 1,414]

Some good points being made on here. Assuming we set aside the statistics for a moment which as people have said could be wrong, I do think there is probably a problem with white working class boys at themoment.

 

Firstly, educationalists have not even been able to decide what education is for, for the last 30 years. Is it to educate the whole child, or to pass exams? The obvious answer is 'both' but it's really not that simple. Education has been chopping and changing between the two for years and driving teachers mad. Once you start measuring output simply by exam results from start to finish, (early years Sats to A level,) then the whole focus is on academic achievement, and the wrong pressure is applied. This particularly affects non academic, working class boys, who sometimes have a huge chip on their shoulder, and have to be reached in other ways. For heaven's sake, Let teachers do what they're good at - let them teach! And, just as important, nurture. They will get the results in the end.

As my old head used to say, a pig doesn't get fatter by weighing it...

 

Secondly, we have to value, really value, other talents as well as just academic ones. we need to look at the workplace of the future and see what skills are required, and work towards them. This gives education meaning for WWCB. Get them out there at the earliest opportunity, looking at how the world works, visiting different places and worksites. Get them excited about their futures. It's very difficult at the moment; as people have said, manufacturing is in decline, and you'd be surprised how scared some of these kids are about what the future holds. They need to actually see the opportunities for themselves, so they have something to work towards. I'd be doing work visits every week from year 6 onward.

 

Thirdly: Role models. Take them to army camps and let them have a go on the assault courses, or bring the assault course into school complete with army instructors. Firemen, Paramedics, Builders, Parents, Male nurses, Animal Welfare, Police, Entrepreneurs, Actors, and all the allied trades etc, can all help to promote positive images. And teachers themselves of course, particularly male ones, who seem to be disappearing from Primary education.

 

And Parents: A huge influence for good and bad. It's just as important to get them on board too. Sometimes they'll need to be wooed, thanks to their own negative experiences, but most parents want the best for their child and will move heaven and earth to get it for them, once they know how to go about it in the right way. So they need treating with genuine respect as part of a real partnership.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Anna B