The Effects of Language and Culture on the Achievement of Turkish-speaking Students in British Schools: 1990s to 2004

Abstract

In this paper, the achievement of Turkish-speaking students in Britain has been evaluated by taking various factors into consideration. The Turkish community resident in the United Kingdom dates back to the 1930s, when the first settlers arrived and the current population of the Turkish community is estimated to be around 150,000. However, Turkish immigrants and settlers have never been counted as “Turkish” in either surveys or in the national census. This made them invisible, and their diverse needs have not been taken into consideration. In addition, as language ability, culture, gender and schooling had a great effect on achievement, Turkish-speaking pupils struggled in the British educational system. Although, the data relating to the existing Turkish community and its educational history in the United Kingdom are limited, a wide range of literature and government papers have been accessed to support relevant findings. The result of this extensive evaluation shows that Turkish-speaking pupils when compared with other ethnic groups under-achieve in British schools.