Race, Ethnicity and Educational Attainment in the UK - Dissertation Example

Racial segregation involves the intentional separation of individuals based on their race, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Such acts are at all times unlawful. However, the according to of preferential treatment to a female pupil on account of her pregnancy or childbirth, does not constitute discrimination against a male pupil. Similarly, there is no direct discrimination against a non-disabled pupil, when more favorable treatment is provided to a disabled pupil (Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2012).

Moreover, racial discrimination is rampant in British educational research. This disquieting feature of the British educational system has been studied in depth by several researchers. However, certain aspects have been largely neglected. Some of these are, the perceptions of students about differential teacher treatment, and the relationship of this perspective to the claims of students regarding racial discrimination and teacher racism (Stevens, 2009, p. 413).

Education represents a small-scale model of society. It permits a purview into social processes at the macroscopic level. In addition, education is intimately related to the objectives of advancement and equality in society. Consequently, it forms an important boundary that is deserving of exploration. Class, ethnicity, and race in education constitute features that are difficult to break down, due to their strong bonds with each other. All the same, the basic concepts of the boundary work in education come to the fore, because of such division and exclusion (Richardson, 2008, p. 8).

The race equality legislation of the UK tends to incorporate such international obligations. There is considerable evidence to suggest that the education system of the UK admits to race inequalities. There is well–documented evidence regarding the educational underachievement of certain ethnic minority pupils, such as the Black pupils, Irish heritage pupils, and Pakistani and Bangladeshi pupils (Richardson, 2005).

Education reforms in the UK were aimed at establishing a free market system of education. The concept of Education for citizenship is one such reform. This development has improved the wealth and prosperity of the white majority while worsening the economic and structural inequalities being experienced by ethnic minority communities (Garratt, 2011, p. 29).

In the 1980s, new racism emerged in the UK. It was the outcome of long-standing ill-feeling and discrimination, deep structural inequalities, and hostile immigration policies. During this period there was considerable focus on who was to be included or excluded from the British national identity. This provided a justification for xenophobia and racism towards the minority communities (Garratt, 2011, p. 29).

The upshot was that white hegemony was actively promoted and preserved, and was even considered to be normal. Concomitantly, the principles of the Welfare State were more or less ignored, and competitive individualism was encouraged. Furthermore, the white majority was convinced of the necessity to protect the British national identity and its interests from those who opposed their views (Garratt, 2011, p. 29).

Consequently, the inner cities were portrayed as being substandard and pathological, of the central values of British society. For instance, the history curriculum in schools was revised to make it more traditionally British and nationalistic. There was strong opposition to coursework that discussed the politics of class, gender, and race. The 1980s and 1990s witnessed educational reforms that discarded ethnic diversity and dealt superficially with several of the discriminatory processes. This served to ring the death knell of the non–statutory guidance of Education for citizenship (Garratt, 2011, p. 29).

The United Nations (UN), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the European Union (EU), and several other parties believe that education constitutes a fundamental human right. It has been described as being indispensable for human rights in general, by the Director-General of UNESCO. Consequently, the Member States of the EU have to promote and preserve the right to education (Richardson, 2005).