Black teachers 'feel more respected'

Black teachers feel they gain more respect from pupils and parents than their white and Asian colleagues, a survey suggests.

A poll of more than 70,000 staff in England by the General Teaching Council (GTC) and The Guardian also showed ethnic minorities were under-represented in the profession.

While black and Asian pupils now account for almost 13% of the total population, only 2.4% of the teaching workforce come from those communities.

When asked how they were treated by pupils and parents, 34% of black teachers said they received a great deal of respect, compared with 29% and 28% of their white and Asian colleagues.

'Giving something back'

But more whites said they got a "fair" amount of respect, at 57% compared with 49% for black teachers and 54% for Asians.

Ethnic minority staff were also more likely to say they joined the profession out of a desire to give something back to the community than whites and more certain they made the right choice, the GTC said.

More than half of all black and four out of 10 Asian teachers are based in London.

They were also under-represented in management positions.

The Teacher Training Agency launched a drive to recruit more ethnic minority teachers earlier this year.

Many educationalists believe boosting their numbers will help improve the achievement of African-Caribbean, Pakistani and Bangladeshi pupils, who fare worse than other ethnic groups in terms of GCSE passes.

GTC chairman John Beattie said: "One key feature of a healthy profession is that its members reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.

"The GTC believes that having a more diverse workforce will enhance education for pupils and the community.

"It will help ensure that pupils see minority ethnic people in positions of authority and that schooling is enriched by diverse teaching inputs and skills."