White British pupils underperforming because of parents

[noblegiraffe]

White British pupils are underperforming at GCSE and it's because of the parents claims a report out today:
www.theguardian.com/education/2016/apr/04/white-children-falling-behind-other-groups-at-gcse

So what do families from other cultures do differently?

80% of my daughter class mates are white English, its a state primary school in sw London. We are Asian(non English speaking country) and work full time in the city and both have higher education(uk), we are both ambitious and aim high for my children. However most of my daughter classmates parents are equally caring and "pushing" their children, even a little more than us. I'd say it depends on the area where we live. A middle class family with a bonding family culture then the children are normally very rounded and achieve a university degree is normal(everyone although is aiming more)

I am not Chinese, but came from the country that University degree is normal.
My parents were both working parents, but they made sure that I revised everyday from start of school. I had homework everyday, and they made sure I done it. By the time I was about 10, I didn't need any push from my parents. I just done it anyway, because I realised it helped me progress and get better results at school.
I have been doing the same with my ds. I make sure he reads everyday, and do some revision .(or anything which interests him.) I try to find the resources which reinforce the learning at school, and provide it for him. I'm hoping he will be the same as me, realise that if he works hard, he can get better understanding at school.
With homework from school, my ds still needs bit of reminding, but he knows he has to do it, because I always told him he had to do it like it or not, there was no option. I think people saying primary children shouldn't have home work is a very British thing. Maybe not KS1, but KS2 is quite capable IMO.

I am surprised that very few people mention that the dc themselves need to take responsibility for their education. I grew up in a very wc irish household. My mum and dad worked extremely hard and really were not interested in education (tbh I thought they were both too tired) If I needed something they would buy it but never pushed me academically or were that concerned if I had done my homework or not. Most of my friends parents were the same. Many of us went on to further education and have done well for ourselves because we took the responsibility ourselves for our education. Other dc in my class could barely read by the time they left primary school. They, their parents and the school didn't care. I am now a mum and I do push my dd hard. I believe my response is a reaction to my parents indifference, the fact that living in the real world and I understand that in order to have a good job you need a good education and that I am a first generation immigrant (albeit English speaking) with aspirations that are much higher than my parents had.

The "Chinese thing" is simply a cultural attitude which exists in Confucian cultures that hard work and discipline are the keys to success and excelling in school is the key to a better future. Chinese/East Asian cultures do not put much store in being naturally gifted or good at things - they believe that talent is not necessary, and that success will come with enough work. Working hard and succeeding is not done simply for the individual, but for the family unit.

Immigrant East Asians also have another driver - they feel that academic achievement will lead to good stable jobs (medicine/law/engineering) which will protect them from racism. This is a point my mum made to me.

Incidentally, the cultural attitude I mentioned above has resulted in a nation like Korea, with extremely high PISA scores, to also have less correlation between socio-economic class and academic achievement than most Western countries.

the article mentions "high performing countries" and includes Canada.
the attitude here is much more relaxed.
the concept of my grandchildren starting school at 4 going long hours and constant testing is almost frightening.

lljkk but they are talking about proposed international comparison standards because that's where education is headed. The new grade 5 which will be set as the pass for the 9-1 GCSEs will be set according to the international benchmark standard. They aren't just making this stuff up. Their proposed benchmark of 8 passes (grade 5) at GCSE to see whether our education system is up to scratch doesn't seem unreasonable, even if, at the moment, unachievable.

You seemed suspicious of their number crunching earlier. The guy who did it is from Fischer Family Trust, and they're the experts at this sort of thing so I expect their data is sound.

wash I agree with a lot of what you say, except that private school parents sit back and let the school do the work.

Some do but I bet most don't. I pay for school and have never been less than involved. The other parents that I know are similar ( wherever we're from).

Sometimes it's a PITA, sometimes it's boring, but the culture exists that you do what you have to do for your DC's education and future.

As a nation we have destroyed white working class culture. These were v strong communities. There was a history of self education and union activity to better working and living conditions. That has been destroyed, deliberately, and the poor have been demonised - they are poor because they deserve it. This is part of the same way of thinking.

wash just ignore idiots like that.

Most private school parents would not criticise you for doing whatever you felt necessary ( within reason obvs ).

bomb the WC have been decimated.

However, education was never highly prized in WC culture. I grew up on a 1970s/80s northern council estate and was very much an outlier in my academic ambitions.

Everyone around couldn't wait to leave school whatever their ability.

Our primary and secondary has a very high attendance at parents evening. The parents care. But I've still noticed a better attitude in some of the children from Indian and ethnic families. This report is no surprise to me.

As Asian parents we are branded with "pushy" even we are not. My daughter loves violin/piano( and swimming and painting) then I was told I am a Tiger mother. Back in my home country, a pushy parent get rewarded as they work hard. The good thing I find in uk is, the middle hard working class parents normally care about their children all rounded and push their children hard while in Asian countries the rich/super rich dont find motivation to bother to try as they have their parents pay for anything( failed exams, no problem, failed to get to good school, go oversea, getting a job, why? you will inherit the whole business anyway)

There was always a strong history of self education. Its the reason for the WEA for example. But of course circumstances meant it was not seen as a route out of poverty/to promotion etc. That was never going to happen. The upper classes never wanted the poor educated at all. It still suits imo for the poor to remain under educated. My mum for example had to leave school at 15 with no quals. She was needed to work. My great grandmother couldnt go to grammar school. She was needed to work. But all my family were v self educated and self taught.

Eric you a master of generalization. Historically plenty of working class families put a value on education and the grammar system allowed them to realize their ambitions. I could give a zillion examples.

Also, the parents at London independents are extremely unrepresentative of the parent population as a whole. The culture sounds horrendous and completely alien to a lot of the rest of us.

Iris have you read today's education report about stressed 6 year old's? These are remarkably unimportant tests surely? And why is your DD doing bugger all for 12 days?

Would say the Irish thing is down to good oul' Catholic schooling. Same thing happens in NI- poor Catholic kids always do miles better than poor Protestants, who tend to frequent shitty state schools.

WashedIris you give the strong impression that you don't trust teachers!

Also, the parents' background is obviously v important- one would imagine that families who make it to the uk are 'strivers' (hate that word) who put all their resources behind their kids, rather than into drink and ciggies. A good few of those white Brits have zero support/parents who don't give a damn.

It's bugger incidentally, not buggar (which is how you've now spelt it twice), just in case that comes up in your DD's holiday Spag :)

Interesting that the headline is White British Children Falling Behind when what the actual figures show is that children of Caribbean descent and travellers are still right at the bottom of the chart (just preceded by Pakistani children).

Not saying there isn't a genuine problem with educational aspirations in part of the White British population; I think there is and that we need to address it. Personally I suspect it is strongly linked to the "othering" of the working class which is such a prevalent phenomenon in British public discourse.

Otoh the way these articles are written it would seem as if they think the natural state of affairs would be to have White British Children at the top- and that would seem odd to me, given that immigrants are probably on the whole a natural selection of the more energetic and can-do type of person.