Major grade differences between students of different minority backgrounds

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Nearly a whole grade separates the incision for students with family backgrounds from Vietnam and Thailand at upper secondary level schools, according to a new report.

 

Students with family backgrounds from Vietnam and Thailand stand out at each end of the grade scale, according to the report “Well-being and education among minority students in secondary education”, stated in an article in Aftenposten. Nova researchers, Anders Bakken and Christer Hyggen, are behind the report.

While students with family background from Vietnam have a cross-section of 4.05, students with Thailand backgrounds have an average of 3.18. Pupils with Norwegian parents have an average of 4.0 the second highest among the countries mentioned.

On the upper part of the scale are students from Germany (3.99), Bosnia and Herzegovina (3.94) and the Nordic countries (3.93). At the other end, Somalia (3,36), Afghanistan (3,36) and Eritrea (3,36) are in front of Thailand.

The researchers would like to know more about why Thailand, for example, is on the lower spectrum and wants more research on what effects this from those youths.

“We know that many have come to Norway for family reunification and that the majority have come during primary school. We do not know if they have contact with both parents. They may have a Thai mother and Norwegian father,” says Anders Bakken.

The researchers also recognize that the background of the students has a lot to say for their grades.

“The traditional explanations related to socioeconomic backgrounds are also decisive in this report,” says Bakken.

 

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today