Statistics
Sir: In his article about statistics relating to minority groups (January 10), Patrick Cosgrave states that the CRC and I have opposed the collection of statistics of children from minority groups in school. This is untrue. Our attitude has always been that statistics in themselves are neutral and we have supported their collection wherever they have been demonstrated to be practical and useful. The statistics as they were collected on the old DES Form 7(i) were widely agreed (by the teachers' organisation, the Select Committee, etc) to be inadequate from several points of view. We did not argue that the collection of statistics be abolished, but that the existing method of collecting them in 1972 (when we gave evidence to the Select Committee) was unsatisfactory and that the DES proposals for changing it made matters worse. We have continually advocated keeping statistics on the position of minorities in housing, employment and other areas so that their needs can be identified and the impact of the policies designed to meet those needs evaluated.
Mark Bonham Carter Community Relations Commission, 15-16 Bedford Street, London WC2
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