A claim that schools are failing ethnic minority pupils is not true for Bradford, according to one of the city's education chiefs.

Diana Cavanagh, Chairman of Education for the district, was speaking after a report from the Office for Standards in Education which highlighted continuing under-performance by some pupils from minority communities.

According to the survey, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and black Caribbean students are not making adequate progress, although the organisation admits the overall picture is good.

The report is based on a survey by inspectors in schools in 25 local education authorities, which have not been named, and it encourages schools to tackle the problems of prejudice.

Of the LEAs visited, fewer than a quarter have a clear strategy for raising the attainment of minority ethnic groups and only a third monitor that attainment.

However, that picture does not represent what is happening in Bradford, says the director.

Schools monitor equal opportunities carefully and collect a great deal of detailed information about academic achievement according to ethnic groups.

The information gathered is used to form policies aimed at boosting performance like the creation of the successful Better Reading Partnerships and improving English language skills.

According to statistics complied by Bradford City Council, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Afro-Caribbean students do perform worse than their white classmates.

One average last year, 19 per cent of Pakistanis attained five or more A*-C GCSEs, compared with 14 per cent of Bangladeshi, 8 per cent of Afro-Caribbean and 28 per cent of whites.

However, the ethnic group that outstrips all others on the exam front is Indian children, of whom 33 per cent got more than five A*-C GCSEs in 1998.

"We are very concerned about the under-achievement of specific groups and we are working to improve the situation," said Ms Cavanagh.

At Belle Vue Boys School in Thorn Lane where nearly all the pupils are of Asian origin, headteacher Bruce Berry said the story told by Ofsted was not a fair reflection of his school.

Pupils are taught to be self-confident, given individual targets and a successful mentoring scheme gives help to individuals requiring it.

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