New studies have shown that many British students hardly have a single lesson with their teachers from the same ethnic background, which rippled in their learning experience.
Some minority ethnic students in certain parts of England face the possibility of not having a teacher who belongs to their own racial group. In part, this is because potential candidates from minority ethnic groups are rarely admitted into teacher education programmes. These dramatic findings are highlighted in research conducted by Durham University’s evidence centre for education.
The consequences of such underrepresentation are wide-ranging and profound. Professor Stephen Gorard, director of the aforementioned centre notes that these discrepancies affect things such as school suspensions, labelling into special educational needs, absenteeism among others and happiness and aspirations at school in general. The lack of relateable people in classrooms can discourage a student from connecting with his or her education resulting in a lack of role models.
However, while London has an ethnically diverse teaching profession, there is an alarming discrepancy between its BAME teachers and the number of BAME students they teach. This suggests that although the capital has diversified its workforce somewhat in terms of teachers it still does not match the multicultural nature inherent within its student population.
On the other hand, this seems to be where recruitment goes wrong. The study found that there was a clear disparity between acceptance rates for teacher training course based on ethnicity. Black applicants seem to suffer more than any other race as they record relatively low acceptance rates compared to whites (DfE 2020). Even when achieving qualified teaching status, minority ethnic candidates experienced difficulty securing their first job as teachers (DfE 2016).
In response to continuing racial disparities in employment practices Jabeer Butt CEO at Race Equality Foundation said we’ve been hearing calls for equality since George Floyd was killed but substantive change hasn’t happened yet.
Butt advocates for robust race equality strategies at national level. Similarly Kevin Courtney from National Education Union concurred pointing out the under-representation of black communities in teaching and urging colleges of education to reassess their recruitment strategies.
This inequality must be acknowledged by employers and diverse job seekers, who should strive to bring about systemic change. Representation matters, since a diverse teacher workforce can make a significant contribution to improving the experiences of minority ethnic learners.
These findings are an urgent call to action in an increasingly equal society. Employers and those seeking jobs must appreciate that diversity is important and work together in addressing such gaps. The study simply reminds us that there is more work at hand which starts with questioning normal recruitment practices and embracing inclusivity in every sector.
The educational system in England, though it has made strides, still has far to go before true equality and representation can be achieved. Not only does the shortage of teachers from minority ethnic backgrounds affect these students but also it influences the entire educational environment. This creates feelings of belongingness among students when they see educators that resemble them due to a similar cultural background (Voorhees et al., 2019). Such a connection can result into great motivation among students thereby impacting on their engagement levels as well as achievement and aspirations towards success (Voorhees et al., 2019).
It is also important to note that different teachers bring with them different perspectives and experiences to the classroom, thereby making the learning process more comprehensive for all students. Such knowledge allows them to be able to see from a larger perspective, as opposed to being fixed in stereotype. This thinking is essential as far as teaching a globally centered curriculum is concerned.
The conclusions of this study by Durham University must provide a stimulus for action. To correct these imbalances, education stakeholders, training institutions, and schools have to act proactively. Some examples of such measures include reviewing and changing recruitment processes so that they become biases free, providing support systems and mentorship programmes for teacher candidates who are not part of the majority ethnic group as well as fostering an inclusive society that embraces diversity.
To add on there should be a combined effort in sensitisation about importance of diversity in teachers. It will be useful if we can make our public understand how diverse teaching force could improve education through such things like campaigns or projects.
Summarily, England’s shortage of teachers who belong from minority backgrounds remains dearth issue which needs immediate attention and action. By addressing the root causes of this disparity and implementing strategies to promote diversity in teaching, we can create a more equitable and inclusive educational system. Thus this will avail benefits not only for non-white pupils but also enrich the learning experience for all kids since it equips them with skills necessary for living within multicultural societies throughout their life time. As long as there is still an ongoing march towards equality and representation in education then it behooves us all to ensure that every student has access to teachers who mirror our society’s rich mosaic body.