Schools ethnicity data: Majority of British Pakistanis are actually Kashmiris (who speak Pahari)

Since 1991 our schools have been gathering ethnicity data. This has helped us to know how many children were from which ethnic group and what language they spoke. The exception has been children whose origins lie in the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Their ethnicity and language have both been recorded incorrectly, as Pakistani and Urdu respectively. According to the most recent government data, there are 374,031 or 4.5 per cent (the largest of the non-White ethnic groups) of children in English schools who are of Pakistani origin. It has been estimated that of this number as many as 70% are Kashmiri (see Shaffi, 2022). But change is afoot. The 2021 Census has created the category ‘Asian – Kashmiri’. It is important for the education system to keep abreast of this new development.