A collage showing two hands manipulating strings attached to various school items like an eraser, glue stick, globe, clock, calculator, highlighter, and compass. The strings symbolize control over educational ideology

Deficit thinking

Deficit Ideology confines individuals to perceived shortcomings, undermining their value. It fuels stereotypes, obstructs progress and hinders inclusive education. Understanding and addressing deficit thinking is crucial for creating equitable educational environments, which is why it is a central focus of our practice.

A collage of multiple pairs of scissors arranged in a circle around a rock, symbolising the concept of 'rock, paper, scissors.' The background includes an orange accent.

Deficit Ideology
or Thinking

At Class 13, we use deficit thinking and deficit ideology interchangeably, but it’s crucial to recognise it as an ideology: a broad system of ideas that drives political and social actions. It is the default in education and youth sectors, necessitating not just a different approach but an ideological shift. Think of deficit ideology as the rock in rock-paper-scissors; traditional approaches are merely scissors. To overcome it, we need a stronger, transformative ideology that can shatter the entrenched barriers and reshape educational thought and practice.

What is Deficit Ideology

Deficit ideology has been referred to as “the perfect crime” as it subtly shapes school policies and practices, making victims of inequity the primary suspects for school failure, blaming their “poor homes” or cultural and linguistic “deficiencies”. This crime extends beyond school gates, fueling a “victim blaming” narrative in issues such as violence against women and girls, and all forms of inequity.

What is Deficit Ideology

Deicit ideology has been referred to as “the perfect crime” as it subtly shapes school policies and practices, making victims of inequity the primary suspects for school failure, blaming their “poor homes” or cultural and linguistic “deiciencies”. This crime extends beyond school gates, fueling a “victim blaming” narrative in issues such as violence against women and girls, and all forms of inequity.

Reflect on Aspire Youth and pop the deficit bubble today.

This interactive guide will aid your reflection on deficit ideology, resilience and equity, providing insights that can be applied to your practices. Take the first step towards fostering a more inclusive environment for young people.

A flyer with the title 'Aspire Youth' and motivational text describing the program's goals to inspire at-risk youth, build resilience, and foster aspirations for a brighter future. The background includes arrows and dynamic shapes. at the bottom of the flyer it reads For illustration purposes only.
An image of a GCSE exam paper with the word 'Resilience' circled in red and red scribbles on the paper. The background includes exam instructions and a barcode.

The Problem
with
Resilience

If you feel you have worked hard to become successful, keep reading. Many youth programmes, like “Aspire Youth,” aim to build confidence, resilience, and self-esteem in young people. But since we don’t live in a fair or meritocratic system, these programmes often “help” individuals but pose little threat to the systemic issues.

Resilience is a value in many schools, encouraging young people to keep going no matter what. But, what does this mean for teachers? It might mean feeling pressured to work outside of your hours and keep going no matter what, possibly leading to burnout.
Education shouldn’t be a test of resilience; it should support young people to name the world in order to transform it.

But what about...?

As educators, we see the benefits of building resilience and confidence in young people. These traits support them to navigate challenges. However, focusing solely on individual strengths doesn’t address systemic barriers. If deficit ideology is a perfect crime, strengths-based approaches are the legal loophole. They claim to counter deficit thinking but end up reinforcing biases. For example, society often values “masculine traits” over “feminine traits,” leaving all to be judged based on how closely we align with traits typically viewed as “masculine”. Thus, deficit and strengths-based approaches become two sides of the same coin.

Deficit thinking in action

Uncovering the Culture trap

The disproportionate exclusion of Caribbean boys has been a persistent issue since Bernard Coard’s 1971 publication. Deficit ideology is the perfect crime once again, misdirecting us to question Caribbean culture instead of acknowledging systemic racism. This “culture trap,” as Derron Wallace argues, leads to targeting Caribbean boys rather than solving the real problem.

Reevaluating the Attainment Gap

A key priority in education is closing the attainment gap for pupil premium students. This concept is steeped in deficit ideology, asking young people to “catch up” in a system that has held them back. Gloria Ladson-Billings shifts the focus from blaming “deficient” working-class culture to recognising the educational debt owed to historically excluded groups. This shift urges us to acknowledge and repay this debt.

Unlearn your Deficit thinking

Session 1 of our Foundation Learning programme, “The Big Short,” explores the foundations of deficit ideology. Understand its impact on education and learn strategies to challenge and dismantle it in your classroom. Begin your journey towards a more equitable and inclusive educational environment today

About us

Class 13 was founded to fill a critical gap in education and equip schools and educators with tools to tackle systemic inequities. Find out more about our organisation.

Our approach

Our work focuses on transformative change to tackle young people’s mental health; rising exclusion rates and teacher retention. Find out more about the impact of our systemic approach.

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