The treatment of BME teachers in the workplace has not improved
over the last decade and the work and contribution of BME
teachers is not generally recognised and valued by schools, a
conference organised by the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union, has
heard.
Hundreds of BME teachers from across the country gathered in
Birmingham today for the NASUWT Annual BME Teachers’ Consultation
Conference to discuss the challenges facing them and to engage in
professional development workshops.
The conference, which is the largest BME teachers’ conference in
Europe, heard concerns about discrimination and the failure of
schools to take racial prejudice seriously.
A real-time electronic poll of BME teachers attending the seminar
found that:
78% do not think the work and contribution of BME teachers is
recognised and valued by schools;
58% do not think treatment of BME teachers has improved in the
last decade;
Only 36% feel outcomes for BME pupils have improved in the last
decade;
98% feel that racism continues to be a serious problem in the UK
today;
53% do not see themselves still being in the teaching profession
in the next five years, with 31% saying they are planning to
change career and the rest saying they plan to retire or take a
break from the profession.
Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, who addressed the
conference, said:
“The experiences shared by BME teachers today demonstrate that
discrimination and unfair treatment of BME teachers and pupils is
unfortunately still rife.
“All of the NASUWT’s own research shows the BME teachers face
greater barriers and discrimination in gaining promotion and pay
progression than the generality of teachers and that overt and
covert instances of racism are a daily reality for too many BME
teachers.
“The NASUWT is continuing to support its members in challenging
these injustices, but much more action is needed by Government to
affect the systemic change which is needed to ensure that no
pupil or teacher is held back because of their ethnicity or
faith.
“Through the NASUWT’s Act for Racial Justice campaign, we will
continue to fight all forms of racial discrimination and promote
the interests of all BME teachers and pupils.”
