Comparing Inequality of Educational Achievement in Australia, Britain and South Africa

Using Critical Race Theory as a foundation, this paper will analyse inequality of educational achievement of racially marginalised groups in Australia, England and South Africa. The countries have quite different but connected histories. This paper will focus upon Indigenous Australians, Xhosa in the Western Cape of South Africa and Afro-Caribbean migrants to England and describe the scope of inequality. In each country the educational system is failing these marginalised groups, despite the recognition of inequalities based on racial, ethnic and cultural markers rather than on educational ability. Western style education systems privilege particular epistemological and pedagogical approaches, education structural features and teacher relations, whilst ignoring evidence of different, more inclusive and culturally appropriate approaches that could effectively reduce the inequality