This chapter will examine how black and minority ethnic groups are disadvantaged in their schooling experiences. It explores how from an early age unequal participation and access to education shapes the lives of young people and affects the decisions they make in relation to higher education and transitions into the labour market. The chapter argues that children’s experiences of schooling are affected by their race and, in turn, their class. The chapter draws on case study examples of the experiences of black and minority ethnic teachers to explore how the exclusionary processes of schools work to disadvantage black and minority ethnic groups. The chapter focusses primarily on the UK experience with a brief view of the US position.

Education for all?

1985 saw the publication of the Swann Report, which argued for ‘Education for all’ yet we continue to live in a society in which inequalities in school experiences predominate. School experiences are crucial in the transition to further and higher education and access to the labour market, yet black and minority ethnic groups continue to remain disadvantaged in these transitions. Alexander et al state:

Inclusive policy making?

The Race Relations Amendment Act, which was introduced after the Sir William Macpherson Report, made public bodies accountable for race equality. Public bodies (including schools) had a duty to promote race equality and implement the policies and programmes that demonstrated this. Schools were expected to record and monitor racist incidents and send these to their local educational authority in order that ethnic monitoring of such incidents could take place. However, subsequent governments have removed this duty and replaced it within the Equality Act. The Equality Act introduced a public sector equality duty (PSED), which came into effect in 2011. The PSED ‘… applies to public bodies, including maintained schools and academies, and extends to certain protected characteristics – race, disability, sex, age, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment’.