3. The research question and answer
The research question was:
Why is the Anglo-Indian community being
labelled "backward" in India today, and is
this "backward" tag linked to educational
backwardness?
The answer to the research question is in three parts.
First, despite Constitutional guarantees, the Anglo-
Indian community has created their own political
backwardness. The Anglo-Indian community prefers conflict
to cooperation. (c.f. discussion above Ch. 6 pp.233-4.
See Appendix 1 Profile No. 172 p.397). This lack of
solidarity and collective power, through their own lack
of vision in the community, has led to a whole range of
influences which impinged upon Anglo-Indian education
(See Appendix 1 Profile Nos. 551-581 pp.413-4).
Second, monolingualism, that is knowledge of English
only, and a lack of understanding of India's religions
has affected the new ethnic Anglo-Indian's efforts to
integrate into the life-world of post-independent India
(c.f. discussion above Ch. 6 pp.220-2).
Third, it is a major indictment that the schools
legitimised inequality of educational opportunities to
Anglo-Indians. The Anglo-Indians have failed and
continue to fail in their own schools. Educational
change for academic success is negotiated, not with
Anglo-Indians, but with wealthy non Anglo-Indians whose
need dictated the curriculum (c.f. discussion above Ch. 4
pp.116-20). The schools prepare Anglo-Indians for a
life-world of very low socio-economic expectation.
Beneath the facade of meritocracy lies the reality of an
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