Children of Chinese ethnicity vastly outperform their white British counterparts, a government report has found.
The Social Mobility Commission’s State of the Nation report on People and Places details a regional breakdown of social mobility prospects for the first time, including education, occupation and pay.
Chinese pupils on free school meals outperform their peers from all other ethnicities – including white British – at age 11, and even perform better than the average child who is not on free school meals.
In 2021/22, 76 per cent of children of Chinese ethnicity on free school meals achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at 11. This is significantly higher than the national average of pupils who are not eligible for free school meals (66 per cent).
Furthermore, Chinese young people are also likely to be paid more than their peers once they get a job. The average Chinese young person with a higher professional background earns about £18.20 per hour in their late 20s, compared with around £15.50 for a similar white British person.
However, it is not just Chinese pupils who tend to outperform their white British peers. Children on free school meals from most other ethnicities do better than white British children at age five, age 11 and at GCSE. Other high performers include those from Bangladeshi, Indian and black African ethnicities while the lowest performers include white British, black Caribbean, Travellers of Irish heritage and Gipsy/Roma children.
Once pupils leave school, in some cases the ethnicity gains in education are reversed. Several ethnic minority groups (black Caribbean, black African and Pakistani) are more likely to be unemployed than white British young people from the same socio-economic background.
The report also found that some people, such as those from Pakistani, Bangladeshi and black African ethnicities, are more likely to become university graduates but this does not translate to higher chances of getting a professional job.
The 250-page analysis, which covers 41 regions, shows starkly that social mobility not only depends on parents’ careers and individuals’ education and skills, but also on where people grow up.
The report provides a breakdown of the social mobility prospects of a wide range of ethnic groups, with young people of Chinese origin coming out on top in a range of areas.
Anthony Heath, director of the centre for social investigation at Nuffield College, Oxford, said: “The contrast between ethnic minority success within the educational system, and lack of success when entering the labour market, should make us all start thinking differently to ensure equality of opportunity.”