Study claims white students get better grades than their black and Asian peers

White students tend to do better in their university degree classification than their black and Asian peers, according to a recent study conducted by the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU).

The Equality in Higher Education Statistical Report 2009 shows a widening gap between the proportion of black and minority ethnic students (BME) receiving firsts and 2:1 than their white peers.

An equality body for higher education has said that universities need to avoid "complacency around race equality [that] could lead to the attainment gap growing even wider" in the future.

The findings are based on a study conducted on more than 1.8 million students throughout the UK.

The ECU, an independent charity established to promote equality in higher education, analysed official data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency from the period between 2003-04 and 2007-08.

The results showed that the gap in the attainment of a 2:2 or a first between Asian and white students had grown from 16.2 percent in the academic year of 2003-4 to almost 18 percent in the following year.

The study also highlighted a significant difference in the amount of first class degrees obtained by white, black and Asian students.

Figures show that in 2007-08 almost 15 percent of white students achieved a first, compared to little over 4 percent of black students and 8.2 percent of Asian students.

Levi Pay, interim policy director of the ECU, said the findings show that more needs to be done to encourage applications from BME students.

“Universities and colleges need to focus on whether their policies and practices are actually widening the gap or are effectively narrowing it," Mr Pay said.

"Institutions need to reflect, for example, on whether their curricula, assessment methods, support services and even the extra-curricular activities they support are genuinely inclusive and fair.

"We are concerned that mainstream academics in many areas aren't having these conversations, and that complacency around race equality could lead to the attainment gap growing even wider in future years.

“Where we have worked with institutions, we can see significant changes happening, but whether those would have happened spontaneously, I don't know. If you look across the sector, sometimes equality and diversity teams will be small units. These issues won't get an airing."

Evan Beswick, Vice-President of Academic Affairs at the Edinburgh University Student Association (EUSA), also expressed concern over the findings.

Speaking to The Journal, Mr Beswick said it is clear that UK universities are not doing enough to support international students.

“It is an issue that goes down to primary and secondary school level. At university level the government should continue to support the widening participation initiatives that increase aspiration among groups that traditionally do not go to university and improve support once they are there.”

Highlighting the importance of representation of minority groups in universities, Mr Beswick added: “We have to reach a point where university reflects the society in socio-economical terms.”

Camilla Pierry, Vice-President of Societies and Activities at EUSA, considers the idea that a student’s ethnic background should affect their academic success unacceptable.

Ms Pierry said the reason for BME students doing less well than their white peers has to do with their university experience.

“Research from the National Student Survey consistently shows BME students to be less satisfied with their experience of university than white students, and it does not take a genius to work out that enjoying your degree and your time here positively impacts on your ability to perform academically.”