Current situation

Young black males have been consistently identified by research as one of the most alienated groups within society. REACH: An Independent report to Government on raising the aspirations and attainment of Black boys and young Black men, published on 9th August 2007, states that “Black boys and young men face serious challenges in every sector of society. They are less likely to do well at school, more likely to be unemployed and much more likely to become involved in the criminal justice system than their peers.” The report recommends that the Government “introduce a structured national role model programme for Black boys and young Black men....with the aims of raising the self-image and aspirations of this group.”

The development of the educational potential of black males is one of the most important challenges we face as a society. The potential to touch individual lives and improve the experience of communities throughout Britain is very real. If we can make a difference in this area there will be a huge dividend for all involved.

The background to the current problem is documented as far back as the 1970’s when commentators were reporting on the problem, for example the black writer Bernard Coard in “How the West Indian Child is Made Educationally Sub-Normal in the British Schooling System”. As Diane Abbot recently commented “There are enough government reports on the subject to fill a library. And these reports go back 20 years”.

Last year 41.7% of African-Carribean students gained 5 or more GCSE passes at grades A to C – the national average is 62.4%. About 30% of boys from African-Carribean families leave school with 5 or more GCSE passes, compared with 51% for the population as a whole. As a group,they have had the worst school performance of any ethnic minority for the last four years in virtually any age group.

Currently just over 7% of London schoolteachers are from ethnic minority backgrounds, yet 43.5% of pupils are black or Asian. Black staff account for 7% of teachers in London and 1.5% in England. Only 4% of black teachers go on to become headteachers or deputy heads.

A recent report by the education commission of the Mayor’s London Development Agency supports findings in another important study by the London Metropolitan University that many black teachers felt isolated and robbed of proper pay and status.

The Mayor’s report identifies the traditionally accepted causes for low performance of African-Caribbean boys - peer pressure and lack of parental involvement. The report goes further however, stating that the main problem is stereotyoping by white teachers. “Low teacher expectations for black pupils, born of a predominantly white teaching workforce, have no place in 21st century school.”

The Hutchinson foundation is committed to assisting male black teachers, capable of offering the desperately needed role model of a black male who has achieved academically, and so avoiding the pitfalls of possible stereotyping of young black males in school.