Wednesday, November 16, 2011

London's secondary school system is dominated by black and Asian pupils, according to a landmark report

The most definitive study of its kind shows that 53% of secondary pupils in the English capital are now from a non-white racial background, outstripping white pupils for the first time. The change is due to a surge in the number from a non-white racial background over the last decade, with a dramatic rise in suburban boroughs such as Bromley. It comes after David Levin, head of the fee-paying City of London School, claimed that pupils are being taught in ghettos as inner-city schools become increasingly divided along racial lines, and warned that London is sleepwalking towards apartheid. Professor Chris Hamnett of King's College, who compiled the study, said that ghettoization was too negative a term, but added: "There are very high levels of ethnic minority segregation in some schools. London as a whole now has an ethnic minority-dominated secondary school system. In some boroughs, and some schools, ethnic minorities constitute the overwhelming majority of pupils. This has implications for both ethnic segregation in schools, and for pupil attainment. Some ethnic minorities, notably Indian and Chinese pupils have consistently high attainment at GCSE, while other groups, notably those from black and Bangladeshi backgrounds get lower than average results. Thus, the ethnic composition of schools will feed through into different levels of attainment." The proportion of black, Asian and other ethnic pupils is higher in inner London, where two thirds now come from those backgrounds. In Brent and Tower Hamlets, where the ethnic presence is largest, more than four out of five secondary pupils are non-white. The main reason is thought to be births to earlier generations of immigrants. Professor Hamnett, whose report measures change from 1999 to 2009, said that another key feature had been the spread of ethnic pupils into the outer London boroughs. Barking and Dagenham, which now has a 40% non-white secondary school population, more than double the figure 10 years earlier, saw the biggest increase. In Croydon, Merton, Redbridge and Enfield, ethnic numbers have risen 20% in a decade, and in Barnet, almost half of secondary pupils are non-white. But Professor Hamnett said that the most ethnically divided schools remain in inner London. In a handful of schools, notably in Tower Hamlets and Newham, ethnic minority pupil levels are 90% and over, he added. Ethnic minority pupils accounted for 40.3% of secondary school children in London in 1999. The 2009 figure is 53.6%. Every inner London borough now has more than 50% of ethnic minority pupils. Prof Hamnett added that with ethnic minority babies now making up more than 50% of births in London, the non-white secondary population is likely to increase further.

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