1 April 2018 

The Race Disparity Audit, commissioned by the Government, lays bare the deep seated racial inequalities faced by Black people living in the UK today. The Audit showed that:

• Ethnic minority workers are under-represented at senior levels across the public sectors;
• The unemployment rate for Black, Asian and minority ethnic adults is more than double that of white adults;
• Asian and Black households and those in other ethnic groups are more likely to be poor and most likely to be in persistent poverty.

Black teachers and Black students face a range of inequalities in our education system. The National Education Union (NEU) Report Visible and Invisible Barriers: the impact of racism on BME teachers found the huge costs of racism and bias.

Commenting after the debate on Motion 40, Kevin Courtney, General Secretary of the NUT section of the National Education Union, said:

“We must work together to tackle the stark inequalities Black teachers face in their career progression and in promotional opportunities, and to address the real lack of fair representation and equity in schools.

Research about racial inequality across society is overwhelming. The Government needs radical economic and social policies to reduce this.

“We will continue to provide support to schools to give staff the skills and confidence to tackle racist discrimination and harassment in the workplace.”

Editor’s Note