A fair deal for minority ethnic groups in Scotland?

Scotland is a small country with a dominant white majority and relatively small, varied and dispersed minority ethnic groups. This paper draws on a review of educational research relating to minority ethnic groups at all stages of education in Scotland, conducted in 1998. The review aimed to evaluate research conducted in the areas of: access to educational opportunities, learning and teaching, attainment and staff. We found that existing educational research relevant to minority groups in Scotland is scarce, fragmented and on too small a scale to contribute significantly to policy. In this paper, we put forward various arguments to explain the lack of policy and consequent practice likely to enhance the education of minority groups and draw attention to significant developments in Scotland since 1998 that are likely to affect educational research concerning minority ethnic groups. How can small countries where minority groups comprise a tiny proportion of the overall population ensure that the interests, educational needs and aspirations of these groups are addressed?