Abstract: Summary Existing research evidence on the educational achievement of children from different ethnic groups begins when children are at junior school at seven years of age. These results are difficult to interpret without knowledge about educational achievement at the earliest stages of schooling. In this paper results are reported on the literacy and numeracy skills of a sample of black and white UK children just prior to entry into 33 ILEA infant schools. There were few differences in children's test scores attributable to ethnic origin, indicating that in this sample later ethnic differences–should they occur ‐cannot be explained by skills on entry. Girls had higher test scores than boys, but variation in test scores was more attributable to parental teaching of literacy and numeracy at home and mothers’ educational achievement. These results are from the first stage of an ESRC‐funded longitudinal study of children's progress in infant school in relation to ethnic origin, gender, the influence of parent...

Abstract: Background Over the last eight years I have been involved as a college of education lecturer, a university tutor and a research officer for the D.E.S. and Schools' Council, in attempts to bring about improvements in teaching in both primary and secondary schools. The two school sectors differ, and in this brief review the emphasis is on the primary school and the ways in which innovation is facilitated or hindered in this context. It will be helpful to begin with the negative aspects — the barriers — since these set the boundaries upon any strategies for change which can be adopted. The following paragraphs represent the responses of a number of schools when presented with the opportunity to participate in in-plant inservice training. Training materials were provided free of charge and included the opportunity for a review of curriculum and teaching method in the school. To that extent the materials were responding most opportunely to the requirements of schools to engage in self-analysis following the .1980 Education Act. The materials covered the curriculum areas outside basic literacy and numeracy; and they were supported by the presence of a liaison officer who could help and advise on their use to meet specific needs. The response of schools to participate in the experiment was rarely a direct refusal. But schools were often guarded about commitment or, once committed, looked for ways for not facing the more painful resultant issues. Under these circumstances they erected 'barriers' against innovation, which the in-service trainer had to overcome. Since there are lessons here for all who attempt to innovate in primary schools it is worth examining those barriers one by one. They are pertinent to advisers, college staffs, teachers' centre wardens and even the primary heads and teachers themselves. Each "barrier" is described in a verbatim quotation, and there is a brief descriptive comment about each.

Abstract: The term 'numeracy' was coined by the writers of the Crowther Report (1959) in reference to the need for sixth formers in Britain to have an adequate background in scientific and quantitative thinking before proceeding to university or college. In effect, it was an elitist concept of numeracy aimed at providing the nation with numerate scientists, technologists, businessmen and industrialists, who could take advantage of new ways of solving problems using mathematical and statistical techniques.

Abstract: When a new Basic Numeracy Examination was being prepared by the East Midland Regional Examinations Board, the pilot version was subjected to comparison with four existing tests used by employers and to detailed statistical analysis. Part of the analysis investigated gender differences in the performance totals of children for all five tests, and in each of the sub‐scales for the Examinations Board Basic Numeracy test. This article also brings together the average‐scaled‐score results from the written tests of the six Assessment of Performance Unit (A.P.U.) surveys conducted between 1978 and 1980, at both Primary and Secondary school levels. Except for one of the employers’ tests, the total scores were similar for boys and girls. The A.P.U. totals were also close, but the surveys did show gender differences in performance in some individual test categories. This was also true of the pilot Basic Numeracy tests. Statistically significant differences from the two sets of A.P.U. surveys were therefore compared...