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Report slams lack of ethnic diversity in teaching

Recruitment & Retention
Scotland must address racism and racial discrimination in schools if the country is to attract more teachers from Black and ethnic minority (BME) backgrounds, according to a government-backed report.

It highlighted shocking cases of casual racism which it said reinforced the barriers facing BME people and limited diversity in the profession.

BME teachers account for only one per cent of the total, down from almost two per cent in 2011. Yet four per cent of people in Scotland are from minority ethnic groups, the last Scottish census found. For headteachers and depute heads the figures are even lower, representing only 0.6 per cent of the total.

The report, Teaching in a Diverse Scotland, states: “The working group is concerned that the depth of disparity of understanding and awareness of issues is acting as a major barrier to diversifying the teaching workforce.

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