Developmental status and school achievements of minority and non‐minority children from birth to 18 years in a British Midlands town

The academic underachievement of minority children in Britain has received national attention in recent years. At the request of the Education Authority and the Community Relations Council in a Midlands town, a survey of the developmental status, school achievements, and post‐secondary outcomes of West Indian, Indian, Pakistani, and non‐minority children was undertaken. The research is reported in three sections. The first surveys the health, developmental status, and home environments of preschool children from birth to 60 months. The second concerns longitudinal health and school achievements of a sample of children presently nine years old. The third reports reading, IQ, and school examination results for minority and non‐minority children in the same schools and a sample of middle‐class children from other schools; and data on the post‐secondary careers of youths from the same populations. In the population studied, minority children, especially West Indians, lag behind non‐minority children from the preschool years to late adolescence. The lesser intellectual and school achievements of West Indian children were found to be important handicaps in both further education and employment.