More BME Teachers Required In England’s Schools

Oct. 7, 2010 - PRLog -- There is currently a shortage of teachers from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds, it has been noted.

According to the Independent, last year saw a 12 per cent drop in the number of new entrants in primary and secondary teaching from non-white ethnicities.

Ameer Sheikh, the only black teacher at a Sunderland secondary where one in ten pupils are from BME backgrounds, told the news source that he is “constantly aware” of the role he needs to play.

“For the black students, I feel I need to be a role model and for the white students, I feel I need to do my bit in helping them cope in a diverse society,” he stated.

Action is being taken to try and increase the number of BME teachers in England’s schools, noted the paper, with one project at Manchester Metropolitan University encouraging young teenagers from these backgrounds to consider a teaching career.

Viv Grant, founder of consultancy organisation Integrity Coaching, recently told the Voice that BME teachers should be offered more support to move up the career ladder.

www.integritycoaching.co.uk
pressoffice@integritycoaching.co.uk

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Integrity Coaching offers a range of coaching services to help teachers and school leaders, and those who work in children and young people’s services, develop their leadership skill and expertise. “We are the market leaders in offering ILM vocational coaching qualifications for the education sector.”

Integrity Coaching offers a Coach Training Programme specifically for Academy leaders and teachers to assist them in the development of their academies and strategies to achieve excellence from both teachers and students. A former head teacher herself and also, Director of Integrity Coaching, Viv Grant explains, “We understand that for Academy leaders and managers, often working in complex and demanding contexts that the above challenges are all too real. We are here to aid and support all those who want to raise standards and achieve the very best for their staff, pupils and the communities they serve.”