The IFS report found that most of the largest minority ethnic groups get English and maths test results at least as good as or better than white British pupils in England and are more likely than white teenagers to go on to university. But this educational success “has yet to translate into better, or even equal, earnings success,” according to the IFS, with fewer minority students being accepted to the most prestigious universities or achieving degrees as well as whites their colleagues. Professor Heidi Safia Mirza of the Institute of Education, University College London, co-author of the study, said: “The picture is neither universally positive nor universally bleak. Most ethnic minorities in the UK are doing better than they were and doing particularly well in education. “On the other hand, most continue to earn less than their white British counterparts and all earn less on average than we would expect given their education, background and occupation. Evidence of discrimination in the labor market is clear and wealth inequalities are likely to prove particularly difficult to shift. “Policymakers need to understand and recognize all of these nuances and complexities if we are to make further progress in addressing the inequalities that remain.” The study highlights the “remarkable” change in educational performance by some groups in England. Just 15 years ago, Bangladeshi students were 10 percentage points less likely than white British students to get good results in maths and English GCSEs – but now they are five percentage points more likely to get good grades. But the IFS said there was “no story of advantage or disadvantage”, so that while black African and Pakistani students have closed the gap in educational attainment, Black Caribbean students “have, if anything, fallen further behind”. And while Bangladeshi students are 27 percentage points more likely to attend higher education than white students, they still remain less likely to get into universities that require top A grades, although the gap has narrowed in recent years. The study points out that some minority ethnic groups gain much more in terms of improved income as graduates than others, including their white British counterparts, due to the very low earnings of non-graduates of their same ethnic group. Pakistani women and men, in particular, earn the highest financial returns from university, despite their average earnings being lower than any other group of graduates. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The report published on Monday is part of the IFS’s Deaton Review on Inequalities in the 21st Century. It comes as the Trades Union Congress warns that the number of adults taking education courses has plummeted, especially among students from poor backgrounds or living in the most deprived areas. The TUC said that since 2016 the number of adults attending courses from the most deprived parts of Britain has fallen from 705,000 to 447,000. Funding for adult education has fallen by 40% since 2010, with tuition fees for adults wanting to gain new qualifications. Frances O’Grady, the TUC’s general secretary, said: “The government must reverse its self-destructive cuts and work with unions and other providers to lift the nation up. Rishi Sunak needs to put his money where his mouth is and invest properly in training and skills.”
