Why representation is critical to achieving equity in education

Why representation is critical to achieving equity in educationIn this article, Black Leadership Group Director Amarjit Basi explains why the lack of Black leaders in education is harming the education and employment outcomes of Black students.When considering student attainment within the UK context, it is right that we focus on more than the academic achievements of people. It’s also about their progression from educational outcomes to employment outcomes, to earnings and, ultimately, to career progression. Students’ experiences through formal education are just the beginning of their journey.ETHNIC EQUITY CONCERNSAnd when you adopt this perspective, a concerning picture emerges about ethnic equity in the UK education system. The Black Leadership Group (BLG) uses Black as an inclusive definition for people from ethnically diverse backgrounds who share a lived experience of the effects of racism. It’s a complex situation, but empirical evidence identifies that from the age of 16 onwards, Black groups increasingly encounter barriers associated with their identity, sense of belonging and notion of self-worth as they move through the education system and into their early careers. These barriers block the path for many of our young people towards achieving their full potential, and through this the full potential of the UK economy, too.There are nuances, of course. Using our definition, with some notable exceptions, most Black groups do relatively well through their compulsory schooling. In post-16 education, however, evidence of the attainment of Black students as they enter young adulthood is pointing to inequities along ethnic lines.For instance, published indicators confirm that:- Pakistani, Bangladeshi, African and Caribbean groups are less likely to attain top A level results- Caribbean students do less well at A level and are less likely to be in employment, education or training- Of the 132 UCAS-listed universities in the UK, just nine had a higher offer rate for Black applicants in 2020- Asian, African and Caribbean groups are twice as likely to attend a lower tariff university- Black groups are significantly less likely to get a 1st or 2.1 degree when compared to their White peers- Black groups are less likely to be following Apprenticeships compared to their White counterparts- After controlling for degree subjects, degree classification and socioeconomic background, female Russell Group graduates from African and Asian backgrounds continue to have a lower probability of being in professional employment six months after graduation than their white peers on average – TASO- The unemployment rate for Black 16-24 year olds rose from 24.5% to 41.6% from October to December 2019 to 2020; this compared to an increase from 10.1% to 12.4% for White 16-24 year olds.As Black students start to make their way through further and higher education and into the workplace, their chances of success and progression narrow. This trend is inequitable and clearly has significant implications for a UK plc that desperately needs to harness the full talents of its increasingly diverse population. So, the BLG has sought to challenge why should it be that, from the age of 16, attainment into progression into employability starts to tail off. It is a complex matter with so many factors at play.A PROMINENT THEME IS REPRESENTATION.The notion of identity alongside the sense of belonging is critical to us personally, socially and emotionally in both education and work environments. The resilience and self-motivation we all need to succeed when we face numerous barriers is more difficult to achieve when you don’t see people like you in positions of influence. A central message in our Ethnic Equity in Education campaign is that the lack of Black leaders in education is harming the education and employment outcomes of Black students, impairing their immediate and long-term career prospects. It also impairs the social and...