Lack of diversity in teaching in England means minority ethnic pupils miss out

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.