15th December 2009 9:00
By Blue Tutors
A new study claims that white working class pupils should be given the same focussed help as ethnic minorities throughout their education. Poor white children are the lowest achieving group in England, with the exception of gypsy and traveller children. The study commissioned by the National Union of Teacher and the National College of School Leadership suggests that more resources should be targeted at pupils from poor white families.
Under existing legislation schools receive funding for a range of factors including the number of ethnic minority pupils. The study investigating the underachievement of white working class pupils noted that these pupils did significantly better than the national average for their group in schools where they were given more focussed help. A head teacher whose schools participated in the study commented that social class was not accepted as an excuse for failure, and the students were encouraged to be high achievers no matter what their background.
John Bangs of the NUT said that teachers want more flexibility in the use of their funding so that they are more able to support kids from white working class backgrounds. The report concluded that school funding needed to be “reconfigured and used sensitively” in deprived areas, and that teachers should recognise the impact of deprivation on the achievement of white working class pupils.