BLACK children are under-performing in Suffolk schools, a report has today claimed.Published today by the Suffolk Learning Partnership, the report entitled 'The Achievement of Black and Minority Ethnic Learners in Suffolk', said black Caribbean pupils in the county are three times as likely as white pupils to be excluded from school - a figure repeated across the UK.

BLACK children are under-performing in Suffolk schools, a report has today claimed.

Published today by the Suffolk Learning Partnership, the report entitled 'The Achievement of Black and Minority Ethnic Learners in Suffolk', said black Caribbean pupils in the county are three times as likely as white pupils to be excluded from school - a figure repeated across the UK.

The report said that focus groups in the county discovered that black and ethnic minority pupils follow UK-wide trends of under-achievement at key stage three and key stage four.

The report said: "Suffolk has a relatively small black and minority ethnic (BME) population, most of which is concentrated in Ipswich.

"There are indicators supported by the focus group work that learners in Suffolk follow the national trends."

Due to be discussed at a conference in Ipswich by the county's top education officials today, the report also said that BME students often felt isolated when they were the only BME pupil in the class and when they spoke English only as a second language.

The report added: "Parents and learners both felt that black learners were often stereotyped and expected to excel at sport and music. Many parents found it difficult to be involved in their children's schools.

"Parents were concerned that exclusions were overused for black boys, as a substitute for firm control of adolescent challenging behaviour."

The report goes on to suggest Suffolk schools implement a code of practice for dealing with racism and develops a more multi-cultural curriculum.

Do you feel your colour affects your education? Or does everyone get the same opportunities? Have you been the subject of racism in school? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk