No black teachers! Report shows 'all white' teaching staff across Britain's State schools

A study by the the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) has revealed pupils are unlikely to be taught by BAME teachers.

A study conducted by the National Foundation for Educational research (NFER) has revealed some eye opening statistics on the number of black, Asian and Minority ethnic teachers in state schools.

As our society looks to push away from discrimination its important the very heart of knowledge and education is inclusive and taught from all cultures to ultimately increase understanding.

However it looks like more needs to be done to raise the employability of BAME applicants with a lot of schools having a large majority of white teachers.

The report shows that 6 in 10 state schools in England have an all white teaching staff with nearly 70% of primary schools having only white teachers.

First argument's to these kind of statistics is that people from BAME backgrounds are simply not applying to the roles but the report actually emphasises how there is absolutely no shortage in those applying for teacher training.

With the courses not mirroring the applicants, it could be a case of systemic racism with the CV's and experience of people from BAME backgrounds perhaps considered to be of lower quality to those of white British heritage due to lack of support, education and income.

The government definitely recognises this and with The Department of Education introducing inclusive recruitment campaigns, tax-free bursaries and scholarships, maybe the numbers will begin to shift in the future.

Rachel Smith, Teaching assistant at Hermitage Primary School in a typically diverse area in West London, backs up the statistics from her own experiences:

"Definitely there is probably a 70% white majority here of white teachers, and I only actually work directly with one person who isn't.

"When you compare it to the pupil mix which is pretty diverse, its uneven and so more should be done to represent other backgrounds."

The study also includes how when BAME backgrounds are within teaching roles, progress is unlikely to senior or executive leadership positions.

This limitation on black teachers has rightly been investigated, as it arguably has a role to play in tackling wider discrimination within society.

Speaking on behalf of the research group, Jack Worth, school workforce lead at NFER has highlighted the importance of equal opportunities:

“It’s crucial we have an ethnically diverse teacher workforce that reflects wider society and ensures there are equal opportunities for all to enter the teaching profession and progress within it."