This report, funded by Mission 44, finds that equalising the disparities in progression between applicants and teachers of different ethnic groups would significantly contribute to the Government’s goal of recruiting 6,500 new teachers.
It follows NFER’s previous research on racial equality in the teacher workforce to further explore the factors influencing ethnic disparities at three key progression points: entry into ITT, progression to leadership and retention.
Key Findings
- There are significant ethnic disparities in postgraduate ITT rejection rates among UK-domiciled applicants that are not explained by differences in applicant and application characteristics. The persistence of ethnic disparities that are not explained by the applicant characteristics that we can observe in the available data suggests that discrimination by ethnic background is likely to play a role, although we cannot definitively rule out other factors (such as differences in qualification levels or work experience).
- Teachers from Asian and black ethnic backgrounds have a significantly higher intention to apply for promotion than their white counterparts, even after controlling for differences in characteristics. This suggests that the disparities in progression rates found in our previous research were not due to a lack of interest among ethnic minority teachers and more likely to reflect a lack of opportunity or inequitable treatment in decision-making processes.
- Teachers from a black ethnic background were more likely than their white counterparts to report experiencing bullying and harassment, that they did not feel valued by their school and that a lack of support from superiors was an important reason for considering leaving. These are likely drivers for the finding that teachers from a black ethnic background are more likely to consider leaving state-sector teaching than their white counterparts.
Read the full report here
NASBTT’s Chief Executive, Emma Hollis, commented: “Lack of diversity in the teaching workforce is a persistent issue in the UK education system, as also evidenced in the NFER and Mission 44 research Ethnic diversity in the teaching workforce: evidence review published last year. We know from this that there is significant interest in teaching from black and ethnic minority candidates – but this is not translating into more teachers from these communities standing in front of classes, therefore we welcome any workable and sustainable solutions that may help to remove the barriers to teaching. As a charity which represents the interests of schools-led teacher training provision in relation to the development and implementation of national policy developments, we take our responsibilities very seriously, hence our involvement on the advisory group on this latest research from NFER and Mission 44 and our role facilitating the involvement of SCITTs in the Chartered College of Teaching’s Increasing Diversity in ITT Project, funded by Mission 44. Having a diverse workforce is beneficial to all pupils, bringing different perspectives to the classroom and enriching their education experience as a whole. It is down to us, and all ITT providers, to ensure the teaching workforce is as diverse as the pupils they are teaching, which will help to drive aspiration, achievement and break down barriers. All in all, it is our job to better understand what is and isn’t working, why this isn’t working around tackling ethnic disparities in teacher recruitment, and what we can do differently. The recommendations made in this new research provide clear direction, and we will now explore the implementation of these in partnership with government, ITT providers, and the sector more widely.”
Emma Hollis, Chief Executive, NASBTT