Pupils in parts of England are likely to never have a teacher of the same ethnic background, in part because minority ethnic applicants are less likely to be accepted on to teacher training courses, research has revealed.
The north-east has the least diverse teaching workforce in the country, with students of Pakistani or black-African origin likely to never have a teacher of similar ethnicity in their classrooms.
Researchers at Durham University’s evidence centre for education also found that while London has the most diverse teaching workforce, it lags so far behind the capital’s minority ethnic pupil population that the gap is the widest in England.
Prof Stephen Gorard, the centre’s director, said the low numbers were partly the result of minority ethnic applicants to teacher training being more likely to be rejected, with a “considerable impact” for pupils.
“The evidence is quite clear that not being taught by someone who sounds and looks like them could affect pupils for things like suspensions and exclusions, the categorisations for special needs, their absence and their happiness, expectations and aspirations,” Gorard said.
