What is differential attainment?
- Summary
- What is differential attainment?
- What are we doing to address DA?
How much do we already know about patterns of progression?
Variation in attainment can be observed across groups when split by a number of protected characteristics, including age, gender and race. As there is no single agreed cause of these variations this can make it difficult to identify a single factor or specific area that should be targeted with an intervention.
Under the public sector equality duty, we and those who we regulate must have ‘due regard’ to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations.
To help us understand more about DA we have commissioned a wide range of research. In 2016/17 we published commissioned research considering the causes of DA in medical education led by Dr Katherine Woolf, University College London. This particularly looked at challenges faced by black and minority ethnic doctors and international medical graduates. The team also identified a range of interventions were being delivered by local education organisations aimed at addressing the issues.
Dr Woolf's research identified twelve categories of risk faced by BME doctors and International Medical Graduates. You can read about different perspectives:
