The chairman behind Boris Johnson's disputed race report said religious pupils from ethnic minorities are not isolated at Oxbridge universities because they are "very good" at rituals.
Dr Tony Sewell chaired the PM's Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities - which was behind a report earlier this year which was widely accused of diminishing the impact of systemic racism in Britain, and of putting a positive spin on slavery.
Doreen Lawrence, the mother of Stephen Lawrence, who was murdered by racists in 1983, said the report gave a "green light" to racists.
Today, Dr Sewell suggested religion is part of the "immigrant optimism" which can lead to higher attainment among some ethnic groups at school, adding it can also help with "discipline".
Addressing MPs on the education select committee, Dr Sewell said he did not agree with stereotypes that ethnic minority pupils are likely to feel "isolated" at Oxford as they are not accustomed to rituals.
The report's conclusion, which lined up with the view of Mr Johnson's government, was that geography, family influence, socio-economic background, culture and religion all impact life chances more than racism.
When asked whether religion had an input in disparities in pupil attainment, Dr Sewell told MPs: "I think we can see that it can be a positive effect. I do think particularly from ethnic minorities.
"Sometimes there's stereotypes around the fact that we're not used to rituals. If you send an ethnic minority pupil to Oxford University, they're going to kind of feel isolated.
"Culturally if you come from a religious background you are used to ritualistic backgrounds. So, having dinners and whatever and standing up and down and putting your hands on your head - all those kinds of things that you would do in a context that might be difficult - I find that in fact we're very good at that.
"Discipline as well - it helps in discipline. So I can see how, in a very positive way, religion is part of, almost, that immigrant optimism."
Martyn Oliver, a commissioner for the race report and chief executive of Outwood Grange Academies Trust, said: "I think that equally being a part of a community cohesive group is hugely important."
MPs on the education select committee questioned the commissioners as part of their inquiry into "left-behind" white pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.
During the hearing, Dr Sewell suggested that state schools should have teachers who are dedicated to getting pupils into Oxbridge and other top universities from early on, like in the private sector.
He said: "Maybe it's shared within an academy or whatever, but really working with those young people from upstream, beginning to build that aspiration with them, but particularly with their families.
"That's another intervention that you work with the families to understand the real value of higher education and we think that would work particularly with white pupils from poor backgrounds."
Dr Sewell said that in some private schools - where they have dedicated staff who talk to pupils about Oxbridge early - children have a "real academic confidence" and know about the colleges by Year 8.
"Why should that just be for one group? Maybe we have those kinds of teachers, or that kind of resource, in our state schools," he added.
