White pupils most likely to take no GCSEs
‘Wake-up call’ as one in 30 white children fails to register for a single qualification at end of secondary school
ALBERT TAIT, OLLIE CORFE
White children are the most likely ethnicity to enter no GCSE exams for the first time on record.
One in 30 white pupils who reached Year 11 last summer did not register for any GCSEs or equivalent qualifications, according to The Telegraph’s analysis of Department for Education (DfE) data.
It marks the first time since the GCSE grading system changed in 2018-19 that the rate of white students skipping their exams is higher than any other ethnic group.
In contrast, one in 51 Asian students and one in 42 black students failed to take any exams last year.
White British pupils from working-class backgrounds appear to be driving the growing disparity. In particular, white working-class boys are most affected, with almost one in 10 not entering any exams in the 2024-25 academic year.
The findings – revealed as GCSE students prepare to open their results on Thursday – come after a major inquiry concluded over the summer that white working-class children were some of the most disadvantaged and underachieving in English schools.
Responding to the latest data, Sir Hamid Patel, the co-chairman of the inquiry, told The Telegraph: “These figures should be a wake-up call – they reflect many of the concerns highlighted by the inquiry.
“The fact that almost one in ten disadvantaged white British boys is reaching the end of secondary school without entering a single GCSE or equivalent qualification should concern us all.
“White working-class young people continue to experience some of the poorest educational outcomes in the country.”
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White working-class British boys are particularly affected, with 9.8 per cent – more than 5,000 of them – failing to enter any exams last year.
In June, a year-long inquiry backed by Bridget Phillipson, the then education secretary, published a report concluding that white working-class children were being failed by the school system.
The Independent Inquiry into White Working-Class Educational Outcomes found that severe absence, academic performance, sense of belonging, and relationships between families and schools were all markedly worse for white working-class pupils.
Responding to the latest figures, Sir Hamid said: “We need sustained action throughout a child’s education, from early literacy through to clearer pathways into further education, training and good employment.
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Laura Trott, the shadow education secretary, added: “There is more we must do to stop white working-class boys falling behind, but Labour’s education reforms will lower the bar and take us backwards.
“Lucy Powell’s shocking claim that we have had ‘over-focus on education outcomes’ is an example of their soft bigotry of low expectations. It will only consign white working-class boys to the dustbin.
The Telegraph: continue reading
(UKR)