Assimilation (60s and 70s) and Multicultural Education (MCE) policy (80s and 90s)

Assimilation

• E.g. compensatory education to teach English

• Help assimilate into mainstream British culture to raise achievement

CRITICISM of assimiliation

• Underachieving EM groups often already speak English

  • Problem = racism

MCE aim

• Promote ethnic minority pupils by valuing all cultures in the curriculum

• Increase EM pupil’s self-esteem and achievements

CRITICISM of MCE - Stone (1981)

• Black pupils don’t fail due to a lack of self-esteem

CRITICISM of MCE - critical race theorists

• MCE is tokenism

  • Chooses sterotypical features of minority cultures to include without tackling instutitional racism

• Better option: anti-racist education to challenge prejudice and discrimination

CRITICISM of MCE - New Right

• Perpetuates cultural divisions

• Should promote shared national culture and identity, assimilate minorities