Why do black children do so badly at school? Not because their plight has been overlooked. For the past 25 years, official inquiries have turned up evidence of underachievement among Afro-Caribbe-ans, especially boys. Explanations have been suggested and possible solutions touted. Some unusually controversial ones were put forward this week by Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality. Sadly, such discussions have been more energetic than useful. The problem is undeniable. Test results from 2004 show that Afro-Caribbean boys begin school with a slight handicap-76% can read after two years, compared with the national average of 81%. Gradually, their situation worsens. By the age of 11 they are 12 points behind white boys, and by the time they come to take GCSES, at 16, the gap is enormous. Just 27% earn a grade C or better in at least five subjects, compared to 47% of white boys. By that point, Afro-Caribbeans have been overtaken by Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and black Africans, who began with worse scores. Girls have slipped too, although less badly.
展开▼
