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1 in 5 black kids feel skin colour could affect their job

  • Published
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What do you aspire to be?

Newsround has commissioned a survey of 1,627 children aged 8-14, from all ethnic backgrounds, to find out about their hopes for the future.

For a long time, there's been concern that some black children have struggled to do as well in exams as other kids.

Currently black children still score lower than other ethnic groups at GCSEs and there are fewer people from black backgrounds in top jobs.

Politicians say there need to be more opportunities for young black people.

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Why are there so few black MPs?

However, latest GCSE figures from the Department of Education shows that the gap is closing between black students and other ethnic groups.

What did the survey find out?

One in five (21%) black children thinks their skin colour will make it harder to achieve in the future, the highest proportion of any ethnic group to feel this way.

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Still 'the same rubbish goes on'

This figure compares with 2% of white children and 13% of Asian origin who are concerned over their skin colour.

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Sol Campbell and Alesha Dixon tell Newsround that they feel more needs to be done to help young black kids feel more included in Britain.

Children from a black background were more likely to say they wanted to be footballers and rappers when they're older.

They were less likely to want to be doctors and scientists when compared with children from other backgrounds.

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Maggie Aderin-Pocock speaks to Newsround

Black children are also the most concerned about how teachers view them and less likely to feel their teachers would describe them as clever.