Ethnic minorities have surpassed their white, richer counterparts in school attainment, according to a recent report on ethnicity and religion.
The think tank Policy Exchange has found that children with Chinese heritage on free school meals fare better than white pupils who come from a richer background.
The report has revealed these students have received an average “attainment eight” score of 58.4, which is the calculation of a student’s best eight GCSE results.
The attainment score fell to 51.1 for white British students who did not depend on free school meals, while those who did qualify for free school meals attained an even lower score of 33.2.
Overall, researchers identified that class played a more pivotal role in determining an individual’s success in life than race (Stock image)
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The second group of white students attained lower stats than their fellow students from Bangladeshi, Black African, Black Caribbean, Pakistani and mixed race ethnic groups.
Overall, researchers identified that class played a more pivotal role in determining an individual’s success in life than race.
Veteran broadcaster Sir Trevor Phillips, who is also a senior fellow at the think tank and author of the report’s foreword, wrote that this research has bucked the trend of “traditional orthodoxy that life chances are determined by a simple black and white binary”.
Additionally, he underlined a final trend “that white Britain no longer determines what is “normal” for our society.”
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The report A Portrait of Modern Britain: Ethnicity and Religion said that Britain was one of the most successful examples of a multi-ethnic democracy.
Former education minister and Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi wrote: “The lazy stereotype, so beloved by some activists, that ‘white = privileged, ethnic minority = disadvantaged’ is now simply not an accurate representation of modern Britain.”
He later asserted that differences between individuals must be diminished, saying that “too many in politics, media, academic and public life have sought to focus on what divides us”.
He argued that this has made Britain more susceptible to attacks from Putin’s Russia, the Communist Party of China or the Muslim Brotherhood.
The former Chancellor has called on the Labour Government to promote a more inclusive environment and to “foster a sense of belonging”.
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Consequently, Zahawi has called on the Government to promote a more inclusive environment and to “foster a sense of belonging”.
Pride in the nation’s history and sports’ events are “unifying features” that bring together different ethnic groups, according to the study.
Additionally, a strong consensus was found amongst all groups with the statements that “throughout history, Britain has been a force for good in the world” and “children who are raised in Britain should be taught to be proud of Britain and its history.”
The research indicated that a range of events from British history resonated with participants across all groups, including Britain’s role in the World Wars, the abolition of the slave trade, Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee and the Covid vaccine roll-out.
