Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an assessment of the level of institutional racism in UK universities.

Any form of racism is abhorrent and unacceptable anywhere, including in higher education (HE). HE providers are autonomous institutions with clear responsibilities. Under the Equality Act 2010, they should have robust policies and procedures in place to comply with the law in investigating and swiftly addressing reports of racism.

The department is clear that HE providers should be proactive in confronting and preventing racism, ensuring campuses are safe, welcoming environments for students of all races and backgrounds, and empowering those students to feel confident in reporting issues. The 2020 Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report found that most students from ethnic minority groups do relatively well in accessing and completing HE.

However, the department continues to work with universities, sector organisations, student organisations, and the regulator to drive racism out of HE institutions.

The Office for Students (OfS) has published data showing that black students are less likely than white students to achieve a first or 2.1 degree. The department notes that the OfS will be tracking this further as part of its range of new performance indicators.

The department is in regular contact with other government departments, such as the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice, to align activity and ensure effective practice in prevention and victim support is shared widely.