ABSTRACT
In all post-industrial, post-colonial societies, racial and ethnic minorities1 experience problems in negotiating a position that will guarantee them incorporation into the economy and into the civil society, with equal treatment, opportunities and respect. Education is the key institution which will assist this process. It is thus important to discuss whether the educational changes and reforms of the past twenty-five years have assisted or disadvantaged minorities in their search to achieve the educational credentials that provide employment opportunities and the chance of occupational and social mobility. Education is also a key institution in persuading the white majority that they now live in a diverse multicultural society which allows all its members to have multiple identities, that minority cultures can be accorded recognition and respect without threatening the national identity, and that post-imperial racist attitudes and beliefs are outdated and counter-productive.
