A racial equality campaigner is demanding urgent action because Oxfordshire teenagers from ethnic minority groups scored much worse GCSE figures than others in the country.

The poor performance of Black African, Black Caribbean, Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani students in the county has been revealed in a report by public health director Dr Jonathan McWilliam.

Overall, 50.5 per cent of all students in Oxfordshire achieved five or more A* to C grades including English and maths last year, compared with 48.3 per cent nationally.

But Black Africans averaged 37 per cent (compared with 43 per cent of their peers nationally), Black Caribbeans 19 per cent (36 per cent), Bangladeshis 29 per cent (44 per cent), Indians 52.8 per cent (65 per cent) and Pakistanis 35 per cent (39.5 per cent).

Oxfordshire Racial Equality Council director Patrick Tolani was dismayed at what he said was an ongoing problem.

He said: “This has been going on a long time and nobody seems to do anything about it.

“People are frustrated and we need a concrete action plan or their frustration will continue.

“There’s no willpower to move in a positive direction.

“As long as that continues, we will continue to get the same results.”

Mr Tolani, from Old Marston, believed one explanation for the poor performance of ethnic minority groups was that teachers were not representative of the children they were teaching, although he admitted he did have any conclusive solutions.

However, he did offer to organise an education conference in conjunction with the county council.

He said: “It requires a summit or conference or meeting where all the different ethnic groups are represented.

“We are ready to mobilise people and we are willing to help.”

Sally Taylor, of the county council’s raising achievement team, said the council was keen to work with “appropriate partners”.

She said: “Improving the performance of black and minority ethnic (BME) students is a key priority and schools with the greatest number of young people from BME groups are receiving additional funding to provide specialist teaching and support from other schools.

“Each school is asked to highlight the needs of BME groups and to ensure students understand what they need to do to improve further.”