Representation of Ethnic Groups in Chemistry and Physics

5: Ethnicity and compulsory schooling
percentage of pupils by ethnic group
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
boys girls overall
Fig. 5: Proportion of
students achieving KS2
science, by ethnic
group and gender.
Source: DfES, National
Curriculum Assessment 2004
0
white black Caribbean black African Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi Chinese
This evidence points to the fact that much of the attrition
from science in some ethnic groups – noticeable much later
in the representation of particular ethnic groups in scientific
professions, in later life – starts at the first stage of the
education pipeline (i.e. during compulsory schooling).
Data available about attainment at KS level reveal that
this pattern of differential achievement by ethnic-minority
group starts before GCSE. KS data provide specific information
about science education in school. Figure 4 shows
the proportion of students achieving the national target in
science at the end of KS3 tests, which students take aged
14. The figure reveals a remarkably similar pattern of
achievement by ethnic-minority group to the GCSE data
shown previously, suggesting that the different academic
achievement by ethnic group at GCSE is already manifest at
this earlier stage. In addition, whereas this figure specifically
relates to achievement in science, as opposed to the
more general measure of five or more GCSEs at A*–C
grades, the close correspondence of the data by ethnic
group suggests that the choice of the stage 1 measure in
the present study is appropriate.
Finally, it should be noted that differences in achievement
in science by ethnic group are found in attainment
results at the end of KS2 (when pupils are 11), although
the magnitude of the difference is less dramatic than those
found at KS3 and at GCSE. Figure 5 shows the proportion of
students achieving the national standard at the end of KS2
in science by ethnic group and gender. It is worth noting
the dramatic reduction in performance of black Caribbean
boys. At KS2, this group’s performance is in line with, or
better than, a number of ethnic groups with about 78%
achieving the national standard. However, only 22% of
black Caribbean boys achieve five or more GCSEs at grades
A*–C, which is a lower proportion than any other group.
R EPRESENTATION OF E THNIC G ROUPS IN C HEMISTRY AND P HYSICS M AY 2006
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