Teachers from black and minority ethnic backgrounds are encountering racism that prevents them from being promoted and is forcing them out of the profession altogether, a new report has said.
The report found that more than 60% of black and ethnic minority (BME) teachers were thinking of leaving the teaching profession because of the difficulties they faced.
One teacher told BuzzFeed News that racism in the profession was endemic, saying he had been told "your face doesn't fit" when he applied for a promotion.
Another teacher said they were told by a headteacher in a job interview that they were "not sure how somebody like you would fit in here."
The study, commissioned by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and conducted by the Runnymede Trust, surveyed teachers across the UK.
In total, 1,027 BME teachers responded, while focus group interviews were conducted with 15 BME teachers from different geographical locations and stages of schooling.
The results exposed the fact that teachers from minority backgrounds experience attitudes among senior teaching staff that they “have a certain level”, and are incapable of being promoted beyond that.
Many of the teachers also said they felt unable to challenge decisions, as they faced being branded troublemakers or aggressive for speaking out.
BME teachers also described experiencing a lack of support from their line managers in terms of career progression and dealing with racist incidents.
Many BME teachers felt that not all racism and discrimination experienced in schools was deliberate, and several spoke of "unconscious bias" and ingrained racist attitudes among senior leaders and governing bodies.
