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Segregation in primary schools remains high
Reporter: Karen Doherty
Date online: 21 January 2010
More pupils taught in mostly non-white classes
PRIMARY schools in Oldham remain among the most segregated in the country nearly nine years after the town’s race riots.
And the number of pupils being educated in mostly non-white classrooms has increased.
The figures from a study by Bristol University found that segregation in schools overall was either constant or declining.
But Professor Simon Burgess, who conducted the research, said places remain where segregation is high, particularly in Oldham, Bradford and Blackburn.
The information is on the newly-launched website www.measuringdiversity.org.uk, which outlines the ethnic make-up of schools. It gives figures from 2002 through to 2008, the latest available, for every local authority.
Nearly 30 per cent of Oldham’s primary school youngsters are Pakistani or Bangladeshi. However, more than 80 per cent of both attend schools where most children are non-white.
Pakistani or Bangladeshi pupils account for nearly 19 per cent of secondary pupils. Around 45 per cent of both are in “minority white” schools. The percentage of non-white secondary schools has doubled since 2002 to 13 per cent. In primaries it is up from 17 per cent to nearly 21 per cent.
A fall in the number of secondaries where most pupils are white is not reflected at primary level.
A Home Office report after disturbances in Oldham, Burnley and Bradford found that people were leading parallel lives.
However, a review five years later said few towns had done as much as Oldham to build community cohesion, but too many people from all ethnic backgrounds were reluctant to change.
Professor Burgess said that generally Bangladeshi and Pakistani pupils are more segregated than Indian pupils, who are more segregated than black pupils.
He added: “One of the biggest questions of our times is how well individuals from different ethnic groups get along together.
“Schools are an important place where this interaction takes place. It is a common saying that people’s attitudes are strongly influenced by their school days.
“So the peer groups that children play with, talk to and work with are important factors moulding their perspectives on society.
“The extent of ethnic diversity in schools is an important issue of public debate. This website provides some facts to enlighten this debate.”
Most pupils at St Hilda’s CE PrimarySchool in Oldham are from Bangladeshi families.
Head teacher Gillian Pursey said: “We do a lot of work around school linking, but ultimately we serve the immediate community around the school.”
Comments
I often wonder how researchers get their information, as so many people dare not express a view for fear of repercussions.
BBC reporter this morning said that schools must integrate more and that this issue would be dealt with by the BSF scheme. This in my book is social engineering something the politicians told use at the time was not the case.
Social engineering is what is behind the Waterhead Academy. There are no financial or practical reasons why Breezehill and Counthill schools cannot be rebuilt on the land that surrounds them. This is about forcing people togther to tick boxes. It will end in tears with huge amounts of racial trouble stirred uo.
Take a look at schools like Horton Mill, Roundthorn, Werneth etc they serve the local community as schools always have done. Why are the politicians trying to interfere in this. If people don't want to integrate you cannot force them. Wonder why no politician is standing up and creating a fuss about the £1m plus wasted on interpreters by the PCT??
About Getitright's
"I often wonder how researchers get their information, as so many people dare not express a view for fear of repercussions."
How much I loathe such comments. There is not, nor ever has been, anything wrong with asking questions and making reasoned responses. And we've been more than open in discussing the problem of segregated primary schools in Oldham for the best part of twenty years, if not longer. (And we haven't needed a Professor to tell us about it either)
What I don't understand is, why aren't the rich and poor forced to integrate?
Why aren't the people with the million pound, homes forced to build them in the middle on council estates? (not that all people on council estates are poor)
People generally want to be with people of their own kind - leave us all alone.
This a problem,,but why it has taken so long to be brought to the attention is a mystery, i walked past a CofE school just the other day and the pupils where all Asian, with Asian presumably Muslim teachers...where,s the intergration there? You can talk about social engineering, but this is social grooming..Breading grounds for resentment and hate, radicalising thats what the politicians are trying to get rid off,,
Religion, Culture = Segregation. Put simply.
Are there any schools in the borough which are predominantley afro carib? This "ethnic group" is now spread out throughout the borough and integrated into the local schools!from primary upwards. Is this due to tht sharing the same christian values? I agree with Timberwolf religion is what ensures segregation.
Have Your Say
This is a major problem which arising from the fact that, not unreasonably parents want their younger children to go to the most local primary school and while there remain areas of high concentrations of one ethnic group as in, say, Coldhurst or Saddleworth we will not see it solved
But of course whilst we cannot solve it, it will compound our difficulties.
By JMTS @ 21/01/2010 13:23:54