Chinese children are beating Indians here at their own game - the study and mastery of the English language - with a new ethnic breakdown of school exam results showing the Indians one percentage point behind the higher-performing Chinese.
The ethnic breakdown of exam results shows the Chinese are outperforming every other group, including Indians. The Chinese astonishing facility with the English language - and the Indians' apparent ceding of command to them - has surprised educationists and sociologists alike.
In an extraordinary statistical hosanna to Chinese excellence, the shining figures include recent Chinese immigrants to the UK, who do not have English as a first language and knew no English when they arrived.
The results show that 86 per cent of Chinese 11-year-olds reach the required standard in national curriculum tests. Indians are one percentage point behind with 85 per cent of 11-year-olds achieving the same standard. Though both ethnic groups are neck and neck, they are still comfortably ahead of white British children, only 80 per cent of whom reach the same standard.
