Survey evidence suggests that newly qualified teachers
tend to feel relatively ill-prepared to engage with pupils of
BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) heritage or to respond to
potentially challenging issues related to race equality in
schools. Of key concern is how the teaching work force
- predominantly white, monolingual, female and middle
class - can be enabled to be more effective and culturally
competent in teaching an increasingly diverse pupil
population in terms of ethnicity, culture, language and
economics. Preparing teachers to support schools’ role in
promoting social cohesion remains of vital relevance in a
period of increasing austerity and social change.
A research team from the University of Edinburgh and
Manchester Metropolitan University interviewed 31
lecturers involved in teacher education in Scotland and
England, to find out how they are dealing with race
equality issues
