Analysing the historical evolution of ethnic education policy-making in England, 1965-2005

Abstract

This research reviews the historical evolution of English ethnic education policy-making. The social provi sion of education when examining the implications on eth nic majorities and minorities raises many important issues and pose the following questions: Does the education sys tem exclude sections of the population i.e. ethnic minori ties? Can cultural diversity be taught and promoted? The research explores the implications these questions raise for Afro-Caribbean, Asian and Muslim communities. Assimila tionist, integrationist and multicultural education policies are analysed. By examining education and social policy documents and reports, the objective of this research is to make the reader think about how education policy shapes society and what consequences this can have on teaching ethnic educational issues concerning cultural diversity and institutionalised racism. Assimilationist and Integrationist Education Policy In 1965, a policy document was published by the Department of Education and Science (DES) entitled The Education of Immigrants that was published again as a Circular in 1971.3 The aim of the policy document seems to underline the significance of absorbing and assimulating Commonwealth children into the education system. It is interesting to note that 'educational difficulties' are highlighted as a problem generated by immigrant children rather than problems residing within the education system itself. The DES document goes further and actually implies that ethnic families are to blame for failures within the classroom.4 It is West Indian and Asian stereotypes that are being reinforced and highlighted here rather than the inability of the education system to cope 3 See: Department of Education and Science (DES) (1965) The Education of Immigrants (Circular 7/65) London, HMSO; DES (1971) The Education of Immigrants, London, HMSO. The 1971 DES document begins: 'Some schools before 1960 had a cosmopolitan range of nationalities among their pupils but had found relatively little difficulty in absorbing and educating children of the earlier post-war European immigrants. In the 1960's however, the concentration and rapid build-up in the numbers of children arriving from Commonwealth countries and entering the schools at different ages and at all times throughout the school year began to create serious educational difficulties (DES; 1971:1). 4 'For the West Indian child... The environment is one in which marriage is not always considered important in providing a secure basis for raising children ... to join his mother from whom he may be separated for several years ... the unknown father with whom his mother may be living, and perhaps, is very young, sent out to child-minders while his parents go out to work ... Asian mothers' tendency to live a withdrawn life and not to make outside contacts does not help ... Many [Asian parents] are shy at the thought of mixing with White parents with whom they have little or no contact out of school (DES, 1971:4-6).