Children from ethnic minority groups are not being adequately supported in schools because of a lack of government funding, a report out today claims, writes Amy Taylor.
Each ethnic minority pupil is seen as having the same level of need under the current system, so funding is insufficient when children have a number of problems, says the study commissioned by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers.
It says this is a particularly problem for asylum-seeker and refugee children, who often have complex social and psychological needs.
The association is calling for the funding system to be reformed to recognise that children may have multiple needs.
It also argues that the system needs to be more responsive to pupils joining schools at different times throughout the school year, a common situation for asylum-seeker and refugee children, rather than being based on an annual head count.
Diverse futures, equal chances – funding ethnic minority
achievement in education from: www.atl.org.uk
