Our response to the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report.

2 mins read

Tuesday 13 April 2021

Tags: anti racist organisation, equity, diversity, inclusion

Becoming an anti-racist organisation is a priority for us. We have been gathering data on the experiences of Black, Asian and minority ethnic families with disabled children, and believe that the institutional racism these families are experiencing is in contrast to the findings of the recent Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report.

We know that:

  • Asian pupils are half as likely to be identified with Autism Spectrum Disorders as White British pupils (2018 Oxford University study)
  • Black Caribbean and Mixed White and Black Caribbean pupils are twice as likely to be identified with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs as White British pupils (2018 Oxford University study)
  • There are higher death rates in children with learning disabilities from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities. Of all children with a  learning disability who died in childhood, 43% were Black or Ethnic Minority (Learning Disabilities Mortality Review – Annual Report 2019)
  • The Timpson Review of School Exclusions revealed that children with identified SEN accounted for 46.7% of all permanent exclusion. It also revealed that Black pupils are more likely to be excluded than their non-Black peers (e.g. Black Caribbean boys had a 74% greater likelihood of permanent exclusion than White British pupils). This likelihood increases when the child is both Black and disabled (Timpson Review of School Exclusion – publishing.service.gov.uk).

We welcome the report’s recommendations around education, health and supporting families, but believe that in order to create better conditions for everyone, we need to first recognise and address the structural issues that exist for Black, Asian and minority ethic families in the UK today.

You can read more about our commitment to becoming an anti-racist organisation and view our action plan here.