LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th December, 2020) Forty-six percent of schools in England have no black or ethnic minority teachers, showing that racial inequality continues to be a problem in the UK's education system, a study released on Monday by the University College London's Institute for Education has found.
"Despite a small increase in the proportion of Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) teachers over the last decade and the ongoing policy commitment to diversification of the teaching workforce, a gap persists between the proportion of students and teachers from minority ethnic groups in England," the report said.
According to the researchers, as a result of this inequality, pupils from minority ethnic groups do not see themselves represented in their teachers, while students in general are missing out on the diversity of experiences and understanding.
"Some pupils, such as those from Traveller, Gypsy and Roma backgrounds, may never be taught by a teacher from the same ethnic group," the study said.
It also found that black and ethnic minority teachers are concentrated in London, where they tend to work in disadvantaged schools.
"London schools located in the most deprived areas employ a high proportion of around 45% of BAME teachers," the report said.
Racial inequality also extends to school staff, as 26 percent of the schools have no black or ethnic minority workers at all.
