The Swann report (Education for All) found that of the different ethnic minority groups it was the African-Caribbean's who were most likely to underachieve in education. This could be due to different factors, from family life and cultural differences to racism within schools. Jensen and Eysenck attempted to explain the underachievement of black people as being caused by a genetically inherited level of intelligence which is lower than that of white people. They believed that a lower average score in IQ. tests proved this but environmental factors have shown that IQ. tests are not a completely reliable measurement of intelligence. Differences in cultural backgrounds and primary socialisation can have an effect on performance in tests. As Bodmer suggests, years of discrimination against black people prevents an equalisation of environment with white people.

Perhaps the most important factor in achievement is racism within the education system. Much of this can be seen to be unintentional with materials used in schools supporting a negative image of ethnic minorities. Coard says that reading books often only contain white people and that when black people do appear they are usually shown in subservient roles. He also says that there is an absence of black culture in the curriculum. Wright's studies of primary schools found that teachers had low expectations of black children and that treatment of their behaviour was not equal to that of white children. She said that the disadvantages of black children in primary schools might well hold back the children in their continuing education.

Despite the findings that ethnic minorities underachieve compared with white children the Swann report found that South Asian children do better than working class white children. This suggests that the reasons for underachievement are related to social class and not ethnicity. There are a large

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)