Assess the view that differences in educational achievement between ethnic groups are primarily the result of discrimination in schools [20] In terms of educational achievement, there is evidence of inequalities among different ethnic groups. For example, Whites and Asians on average do better than Blacks. Some would say that this is primarily the result of discrimination in schools, an internal factor. However this is not the case as it is due to external factors such as the influence of home and family background and wider society. On the one hand it could be said that it is down to discrimination in schools that there is evidence of ethnic differences in educational achievement.
The Achievement Gap: Urban vs. Suburban Schools The public school systems goal in the United States is to provide every child with equal education. Unfortunately somewhere along the lines the education system in our country has failed to provide this equal education to many of our children, especially minority. It isn’t that the education is not there, but many other things such as urban parents, teachers, and the urban society itself affect a child’s education. When looking at the mandatory test scores of minority inner city students, specifically African American students, they are significantly lower than White American suburban students, hence the achievement gap.
In What Ways Did Black Americans Secure Improved Civil Rights: 1945-1964? Black Americans had often been looked down upon by White Americans and always suffered racial prejudice. Their struggle for equal racial rights had begun from the end of slavery in 1865, only until the late 1960’s did significant improvement was made. Following the events and ending of World War II, Black Americans began what would become known as the Civil Rights Movement. In 1951, the father of a black student named Linda Brown sued the Board of Education because a white school had prevented Brown from attending a school which was only seven blocks away, compared to the segregated black school she was attending which was more than seven blocks away from her home.
For example, Wright (1992) found that teachers perceived and treated minority ethnic pupils differently from white pupils. Afro-Caribbean boys were often expected to behave badly and they received a disproportionate amount of negative teacher attention. Other sociologists claim that non-school factors such as family structure and home background have a greater impact on the educational achievement of different ethnic groups. Assess the claim that ‘ethnic differences in educational achievement are primarily the result of school factors’ (20 marks) Patterns of ethnic achievement are complex, cross-cut by gender and social class. For example Black, Pakistani and Bangladeshi students do worst compared to Indians and Chinese who do best.
The Supreme Court argued that the segregation of education had a negative effect on those who were black as it made them feel less worthy and could influence low self-esteem among those who were black. The Supreme Court realised other important things such as the fact that America was changing as were the attitudes of some Americans as there was a growth in black middle class, they also realised that for over 60 years the Southern States had failed to provide education that was actually equal, they became aware that the education that they were providing for blacks did not meet the ideals that they were fighting for in the Cold War and lastly the verdict of the supreme court was reached because of a change of leadership in the Supreme Court, the new leader Earl Warren was much more sympathetic towards civil rights than the
Brown v. Board of Education American parents challenged the system of education in the United States which mandated separate schools for their children based solely on race. In Kansas alone there were eleven school integration cases dating from 1881 to 1949, prior to Brown in 1954. In many instances the schools for African American children were substandard facilities with out-of-date textbooks and often no basic school supplies. What was not in question was the dedication and qualifications of the African American teachers and principals assigned to these schools. In response to numerous unsuccessful attempts to ensure equal opportunities for all children, African American community leaders and organizations across the country stepped up efforts to change the educational system.
This decision, known as Brown v. Board of Education, declared segregation of public schools unconstitutional. The court declared that racial segregated schools caused Black children to receive a lower quality of education than their more privileged Caucasian-American peers. African-American and Caucasian-American students are now able to attend the same schools, and sit together in the same classrooms. This decision was by far one of the most important decisions made in
Even though they said people would get treated “equally”, it was all lies. The black people were getting inferior accommodations, services, and treatment. A class action suit was filed against the Board of Education of the city of Topeka, Kansas in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas in 1951. The plaintiffs consisted of thirteen parents of twenty children who attended the Topeka School District. They filed the suit hoping that the school district would change its policy of racial segregation.
Many of these facilities were, education, healthcare, transport, cinemas, restaurants and churches and even housing and estates were segregated. This shows the extent white went to separate them from the ‘inferior’ race. Jim Crow laws limited black Americans from having a better way of life as they were made poorer, didn’t have the opportunity to managerial roles as they were only allowed the low paying jobs and weren’t equal to white people increasing poor conditions, also, led to unequal or no voting rights in coloured communities. Under the Fifteenth Amendment black people had legal rights to vote across America. However, many southern states found ways around the laws to disenfranchise the black populations.
This achievement gap is present before children even start school. Through slavery and legal segregation, today’s racialized social hierarchy, and personal views of educators, racial discrimination has become the basis for today’s black-white achievement gap in education. According to the Department of Education, the achievement gap refers to the observed disparity on a number of educational measures between the performance of groups of students, especially groups defined by race and ethnicity. It is measured by standardized tests required by the No Child Left Behind Act, GPA’s, high school dropout rates, and college completion and drop-out rates (ED.gov). The No Child Left Behind act was put in place by George W. Bush in 2001.