Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Pay doesn't reflect minority ethnic Britons' academic success: Study

The Institute for Fiscal Studies’s report has said while most minority ethnic groups in the UK have done well in education, “clear evidence” of discrimination in their pay and careers has remained.

Pay doesn't reflect minority ethnic Britons' academic success: Study

In a finding that would concern many, a study published by London's Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said while most minority ethnic groups in the UK have made significant progress in terms of educational achievement, "clear evidence" of discrimination in their pay and careers has remained.

The study found that while most of the biggest minority ethnic groups do in English and mathematics examinations as good or better than white British students in England and are more likely than the white teenagers to progress to the university, the educational success doesn't guarantee a long-term success, a report by The Guardian said.


The educational excellence “has not yet translated into better, or even equal, success when it comes to earnings”, the IFS report said, with fewer minority ethnic students admitted into the top universities or getting degree results as good as their white counterparts.

According to Professor Heidi Safia Mirza of the University College London Institute of Education, a co-author of the study, “The picture is neither universally positive nor universally gloomy. Most ethnic minority groups in the UK are doing better than they were, and are 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 labour market is clear, and wealth inequalities are likely to prove especially hard to shift.

Mirza said policymakers must understand and acknowledge these issues if the country were to make progress in "tackling remaining inequalities".

The study also highlighted the "remarkable" change in educational performance by some of the groups in England.

About a decade-and-half, Bangladeshi pupils were 10 percentage points less likely than their white British counterparts to get good GCSE results in mathematics and English but now they are five percentage points more likely to receive good grades.

But while Bangladeshi students are 27 percentage points more likely to go to higher education than their white counterparts, yet they remain less likely to be admitted to universities that seek A-level grades, despite the fact that the gap has narrowed in recent times.

The study said that some of the minority ethnic groups do much better in terms of improved income as graduates than others, including the white British due to the low earnings by non-graduates within the same ethnic group.

Pakistani women and men, for example, witness the highest financial returns from going to university, despite their average earnings being lesser than any other graduate group.

The report unveiled on Monday (14) is part of the IFS’s Deaton review of inequalities in the 21st century.

It comes as the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has cautioned that the number of adults taking education courses has gone down, especially among those having poor backgrounds or living in the most deprived areas.

The TUC added that since 2016, the number of adults taking courses from the most deprived parts of the country has plummeted from 705,000 to 447,000. Funding for adult education has been reduced by 40 per cent since 2010.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said, “The government must reverse its self-defeating cuts and work with unions and other providers to upskill the nation. Rishi Sunak must put his money where his mouth is and invest properly in training and skills.”

More For You

Minouche Shafik

Shafik served as deputy governor for markets and banking at the Bank of England between August 2014 and February 2017.

Reuters

Starmer appoints Minouche Shafik as chief economic adviser in reshuffle

Highlights:

  • Minouche Shafik named chief economic adviser to Keir Starmer.
  • Darren Jones moves into Downing Street role; James Murray replaces him.
  • Wider reshuffle includes changes in Starmer’s private office and communications.
  • Appointment comes ahead of a budget expected to include further tax rises.

Prime minister Keir Starmer has named Minouche Shafik, a former deputy governor of the Bank of England, as his chief economic adviser. The appointment comes as he looks to strengthen his team ahead of what is expected to be a difficult end to the year.

Keep ReadingShow less
modi putin

Before their formal meeting, Putin offered Modi a ride in his Aurus limousine.

X/@narendramodi

Six key takeaways from the SCO summit

INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi met Russian president Vladimir Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China.

Modi pressed for ending the Ukraine conflict at the earliest, reaffirmed India’s long-standing ties with Russia, and discussed trade and border issues with Xi.

Keep ReadingShow less
Afghanistan earthquake

Afghan volunteers and Taliban security personnel carry an earthquake victim evacuated by a military helicopter from the Nurgal district of Kunar province onn September 1, 2025.

Getty Images

Afghanistan earthquake kills more than 800, thousands injured

A MAJOR rescue operation was underway in Afghanistan on Monday after a powerful earthquake and several aftershocks destroyed homes in a remote mountainous region, killing more than 800 people, according to Taliban authorities.

The quake struck just before midnight and was felt as far as Kabul and in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ganpati festival

The Ganpati festival celebrates Ganesha as the god of new beginnings, and the god of wisdom and intelligence. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Hindu community centre in London damaged in fire after Ganapati Visarjan event

A HINDU community centre in east London caught fire on Saturday evening, causing major damage to the building. The London Fire Brigade brought the fire under control and confirmed that no injuries were reported.

The incident took place at the Shree Sorathia Prajapati Community Centre on Cleveland Road in Ilford, which had been decorated for a Ganapati Visarjan event attended by members of the Hindu community.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi ,Xi & Putin

Narendra Modi talks with Vladimir Putin and Xi jinping ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 at the Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Centre in Tianjin on September 1, 2025.

Getty Images

SCO declaration slams Pahalgam attack, calls for united action on terror

Highlights:

  • SCO condemns terror attack in Pahalgam and echoes India’s stance on “double standards”.
  • Leaders call for justice for perpetrators of attacks in Pahalgam and Balochistan.
  • Declaration criticises Israeli military strikes in Gaza causing civilian casualties.
  • SCO stresses UN’s central role in global counter-terrorism strategy.

THE SHANGHAI Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Monday condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam and agreed with India’s position that “double standards” in tackling terrorism are not acceptable.

Keep ReadingShow less