Anthony Heath and Catherine Rothon
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780197265741
- eISBN:
- 9780191771934
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265741.003.0003
- Subject:
- Education, Educational Policy and Politics
This chapter investigates the grades and test scores of second-generation minorities at the end of compulsory schooling (around age fifteen). We document the differences in overall achievement both ...
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This chapter investigates the grades and test scores of second-generation minorities at the end of compulsory schooling (around age fifteen). We document the differences in overall achievement both between minorities and between countries, showing that Chinese and some other Asian groups out-perform the majority group while Turkish, North African, Caribbean, Sub-Saharan African groups and many European minorities all perform less well. Whilst the disadvantage of many European minorities can largely be explained by their disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, socioeconomic background does not explain the disadvantages experienced by minorities with Turkish and North African backgrounds, meaning that these groups experience significant ‘ethnic penalties’ even after controlling for their parent's socioeconomic circumstances. Conversely, the Chinese experience substantial ‘ethnic premia’. We then investigate explanations for these ethnic premia and penalties, concluding by considering the extent to which different countries offer more or less favourable environments for the educational success of the children of immigrants.Less
This chapter investigates the grades and test scores of second-generation minorities at the end of compulsory schooling (around age fifteen). We document the differences in overall achievement both between minorities and between countries, showing that Chinese and some other Asian groups out-perform the majority group while Turkish, North African, Caribbean, Sub-Saharan African groups and many European minorities all perform less well. Whilst the disadvantage of many European minorities can largely be explained by their disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, socioeconomic background does not explain the disadvantages experienced by minorities with Turkish and North African backgrounds, meaning that these groups experience significant ‘ethnic penalties’ even after controlling for their parent's socioeconomic circumstances. Conversely, the Chinese experience substantial ‘ethnic premia’. We then investigate explanations for these ethnic premia and penalties, concluding by considering the extent to which different countries offer more or less favourable environments for the educational success of the children of immigrants.
Laurence Lessard-Phillips, Yaël Brinbaum, and Anthony Heath
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780197265741
- eISBN:
- 9780191771934
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265741.003.0005
- Subject:
- Education, Educational Policy and Politics
This chapter focuses on students who continue in full-time education after compulsory schooling and asks whether minority students are disproportionately channelled into lower-status vocational ...
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This chapter focuses on students who continue in full-time education after compulsory schooling and asks whether minority students are disproportionately channelled into lower-status vocational tracks and are excluded from the high-status academic tracks which lead to higher education. The picture that emerges is of distinct patterns in different sets of countries. In Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, minority groups are less likely to follow the academic track, but this under-representation can be entirely explained by their disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds and relatively low grades in lower secondary school. However, in a second group of countries – England and Wales, Finland, France and Sweden –most minorities are in fact more likely to follow the academic track than their majority-group peers from similar socioeconomic backgrounds and with similar grades. The indications are that comprehensive systems offer greater opportunities for minority students to fulfil their ambitions than do tracked educational systems.Less
This chapter focuses on students who continue in full-time education after compulsory schooling and asks whether minority students are disproportionately channelled into lower-status vocational tracks and are excluded from the high-status academic tracks which lead to higher education. The picture that emerges is of distinct patterns in different sets of countries. In Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, minority groups are less likely to follow the academic track, but this under-representation can be entirely explained by their disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds and relatively low grades in lower secondary school. However, in a second group of countries – England and Wales, Finland, France and Sweden –most minorities are in fact more likely to follow the academic track than their majority-group peers from similar socioeconomic backgrounds and with similar grades. The indications are that comprehensive systems offer greater opportunities for minority students to fulfil their ambitions than do tracked educational systems.
Amy C. Lutz
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780197265741
- eISBN:
- 9780191771934
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265741.003.0007
- Subject:
- Education, Educational Policy and Politics
This chapter examines the success of the second generation in completing tertiary education in Belgium, Canada, England and Wales, France, the Netherlands and the USA (the only countries for which ...
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This chapter examines the success of the second generation in completing tertiary education in Belgium, Canada, England and Wales, France, the Netherlands and the USA (the only countries for which appropriate data were available). The ethnic inequalities found in higher education largely reflect patterns seen earlier in the educational career but there is at the same time clear evidence of progress relative to majority populations. Thus, if we compare the second-generation groups and countries which are covered in both Chapter 3 and Chapter 7, we find that there are thirteen significant ethnic penalties (that is, negative estimates after controls for socioeconomic background) in Chapter 3 (out of a total of twenty-seven that we estimated), but only three in Chapter 7. This is an important and novel finding, suggesting that higher education may give valuable ‘second chances’ to disadvantaged ethnic minorities. This pattern applies in all six countries.Less
This chapter examines the success of the second generation in completing tertiary education in Belgium, Canada, England and Wales, France, the Netherlands and the USA (the only countries for which appropriate data were available). The ethnic inequalities found in higher education largely reflect patterns seen earlier in the educational career but there is at the same time clear evidence of progress relative to majority populations. Thus, if we compare the second-generation groups and countries which are covered in both Chapter 3 and Chapter 7, we find that there are thirteen significant ethnic penalties (that is, negative estimates after controls for socioeconomic background) in Chapter 3 (out of a total of twenty-seven that we estimated), but only three in Chapter 7. This is an important and novel finding, suggesting that higher education may give valuable ‘second chances’ to disadvantaged ethnic minorities. This pattern applies in all six countries.
Anthony Heath and Yaël Brinbaum (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780197265741
- eISBN:
- 9780191771934
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265741.001.0001
- Subject:
- Education, Educational Policy and Politics
Western countries have become increasingly diverse in recent decades and these demographic trends are certain to continue. The resulting ethnic diversity is a major challenge to policy-makers, who ...
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Western countries have become increasingly diverse in recent decades and these demographic trends are certain to continue. The resulting ethnic diversity is a major challenge to policy-makers, who need to tackle issues of social justice and social integration. Education plays a pivotal role since it is the major stepping stone for the children of immigrants to successful economic integration and also plays a major role in social and political integration more generally since education gives access to the skills, resources and contacts which enable individuals to participate fully in the life of their society. Our central research questions are: Do the descendants of migrants experience equality of educational opportunity relative to their peers from the majority population in their country of residence? Do minorities experience ‘ethnic penalties’ in Western educational systems in addition to the social class disadvantages which we know to be pervasive? Are some minority groups are more successful than others? And do some national contexts provide more favourable conditions for achieving equality of opportunity and avoiding ethnic penalties? The chapters describe the extent to which minorities experience inequality of opportunity in ten Western countries (Belgium, Canada, England and Wales, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA) and examine whether disadvantages cumulate or are mitigated across the educational career as a whole. We explore reasons why the children of migrants seem to make greater progress in some countries than others, focusing on the extent to which their parents were ‘positively selected’ and on the nature of each country's educational systems.Less
Western countries have become increasingly diverse in recent decades and these demographic trends are certain to continue. The resulting ethnic diversity is a major challenge to policy-makers, who need to tackle issues of social justice and social integration. Education plays a pivotal role since it is the major stepping stone for the children of immigrants to successful economic integration and also plays a major role in social and political integration more generally since education gives access to the skills, resources and contacts which enable individuals to participate fully in the life of their society. Our central research questions are: Do the descendants of migrants experience equality of educational opportunity relative to their peers from the majority population in their country of residence? Do minorities experience ‘ethnic penalties’ in Western educational systems in addition to the social class disadvantages which we know to be pervasive? Are some minority groups are more successful than others? And do some national contexts provide more favourable conditions for achieving equality of opportunity and avoiding ethnic penalties? The chapters describe the extent to which minorities experience inequality of opportunity in ten Western countries (Belgium, Canada, England and Wales, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA) and examine whether disadvantages cumulate or are mitigated across the educational career as a whole. We explore reasons why the children of migrants seem to make greater progress in some countries than others, focusing on the extent to which their parents were ‘positively selected’ and on the nature of each country's educational systems.
