Why most ex-poly unis tend to have more ethnic minorities?

Noticed an interesting statistic.

Most if not all ex-poly unis tend to have large numbers of ethnic minorities... many of them have it as a majority. Usually blacks or those originally from the South Asian continent. Where you do find Chinese or East Asians, they usually tend to be international students from China.

Any idea why is this the case?

Reply 1

Peteo

Where I live anyway the local ex-poly has far more than other universities due to the fact a lot of the Asian families don't want their children living elsewhere so in many cases are not allowed or not encouraged. Often also or aswell to save money. Their parents often use this as a main reason and drill it into them from a young age (from my experience anyway) until they believe it's the best thing to do. Also many who don't know much about the education system think a "degree is a degree" and often don't see any point going to better universities which are further away. Maybe because they've been drilled into that the local is the best. Also lots of families brothers seem to have done the same so they believe it is best etc.

Of course these are all generalisations and don't apply to everyone, but I have from my experience anyway believed these to be many of the reasons.

Reply 2

Kolya

Prolly a combination of wealth and culture, which is made even more noticeable by some snowballing.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 3

username196545

Ethnic minorities tend to underperform more (look at statistics for black Caribbean attainment in GCSEs, A levels etc.. they are consistently underperforming).

Ex-polys are (generally) for underperformers.

Edit: National Statistics website:

The lowest levels of GCSE attainment were among Black Caribbean pupils, particularly boys. Only 27 per cent of Black Caribbean boys and 44 per cent of Black Caribbean girls achieved five or more A*-C grade GCSEs. Pupils from the Black African, Other Black and Mixed White and Black Caribbean groups had the next lowest levels of attainment.

In 2003/04 pupils from Black Caribbean, Other Black and Mixed White and Black Caribbean groups were among the most likely to be permanently excluded from schools in England.

In 2004 people from the Bangladeshi, Black Caribbean and Pakistani groups were less likely than White British people to have a degree (or equivalent).

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=461

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 4

McCoy

Probably because a lot of ethinic minority students are discouraged from applying to universities which are far away from home and thus apply to their local uni - and if they don't happen to live in a city with a redbrick uni, it means the chances are they'll end up in an ex-poly. This could be because their family want them to remain close (or even living at home), it's more affordable (you get extra grants if you stay at your local uni) or because they don't feel like they would have a chance of getting into a more prestigious uni (whether this feeling is right or wrong) because the student bodies at those unis tend to be overwhelmingly white and middle-class and thus they portray an image that you can only get in if you have those characteristics. Students might also feel most comfortable going to a uni where they already know there are lots of people from their own culture (again, you might consider this a good or bad motivation but it probably is one factually) and staying in a town which provides them with the facilities they need to practice their faith and culture.

In short, culture & wealth issue mostly I imagine.

Reply 5

McCoy

Original post by Bubbles*de*Milo

That's a pretty broad generalisation as certain ethnic minorities do a lot better than white students and certain ones do a lot worse. However, I imagine that those who you refer to who do very badly in school probably aren't the kind of students who go on to uni (in bad schools which don't encourage aspiration very few students go on to higher education), so it's probably fair to say that the majority of ethnic minority students at uni are either the ones who've performed very well academically, or are average students, neither of which explains why many choose to go to ex-polys (which I think is more to do with culture & wealth). Perhaps? :smile:

Reply 6

llys

- locality (big cities)
- costs (living at home)
- lower entry requirements (link with social class) (probably ex-polys are also less picky when it comes to international qualifications)
- more vocational courses (perceived to offer better job prospects) *

*I think that this doesn't apply only to ex-polytechnics: Pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds getting 3 As and applying to Russell group unis will be more likely to apply for Medicine, Law or Engineering than for (say) History of Art.

Edit: and recently I read somewhere (I will try to find a link) that ethnic minority pupils are less likely to be accepted onto apprenticeships. Therefore, a degree, even from a uni not high up the league tables, probably does add more value to their earnings than an apprenticeship they cannot get for whatever reason.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 7

username196545

Original post by McCoy

That's a pretty broad generalisation as certain ethnic minorities do a lot better than white students and certain ones do a lot worse

I didn't think it was necessary to specify, the OP even said he was referring mostly to South Asians and 'blacks'. We all know neither of us are speaking about, say, the British Chinese community.

However, I imagine that those who you refer to who do very badly in school probably aren't the kind of students who go on to uni (in bad schools which don't encourage aspiration very few students go on to higher education), so it's probably fair to say that the majority of ethnic minority students at uni are either the ones who've performed very well academically, or are average students, neither of which explains why many choose to go to ex-polys (which I think is more to do with culture & wealth). Perhaps? :smile:

Nah, I disagree. Increasingly, university is seen as just something you do. It's not like it used to be, it's more just an extension of education now - nearly everyone I know went straight to uni. I guess this is due to the fact it's not insanely expensive and you don't have to pay up front (obviously, everyone I know who's gone to uni has done so under Labour/£3k fees a year).

It's more the done thing now, and I think there's less of an elitist view about it now - it's not aspirational as such, it's just something that we do because it's a progression. Meaning even people who've done not so well will give it a go, because hey why not, eh.

I imagine the drop-out rates at ex-polys will be much higher also.