In English secondary schools just one in four teachers are men – an imbalance that is set to worsen with men making up just 30% of current new starters in teacher training. Add to this the fact that in 2020/21, a full 60 per cent of schools had an all-White teaching staff.
In total, only 13 per cent of teachers came from minority-ethnic backgrounds, despite 35 per cent of pupils doing so (Source: nfer.ac.uk.)
Why does this matter?
The recent Netflix drama Adolescence has reignited worries about toxic online influences on boys. In April, the education secretary cited the show when calling for the need for “strong, positive male role models” in every school. Meanwhile, evidence shows that ethnically and culturally diverse teams boost pupils’ sense of belonging, enrich curriculum choices and improve schools’ credibility with families.
Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly clear that we aren’t going to solve the continuing crisis in teacher recruitment without addressing the diversity challenge. As Alison Peacock recently wrote for TES:
“The pool of young graduates and ex-teachers who might be persuaded to return is shrinking. Broadening our search to other demographics could increase the diversity of our profession, as well as its numbers.”
Recent research by the National Foundation for Educational Research estimates that levelling the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) acceptance rate for applicants from ethnic minorities with that of their White peers would put roughly 2,000 extra trainees into the system each year—almost one-third of the 6,500-teacher hiring pledge. (Source: tes.com)
At Now Teach, we are proud of the role we’re playing a role in bringing more diversity into the profession. Aside from being older with an average of 26 years working experience, 51% of our trainees are men, compared with 35 per cent nationally. Now Teachers are also significantly more likely to come from an ethnic minority background than the average. We’re proving that with targeted mentoring and the right support it is possible to attract diverse recruits.
But we know there is more we need to do, particularly on ethnic diversity. This is why we’re delighted to have teamed up with the National Institute of Teaching and Mindful Equity UK generously funded by Mission 44 on a new three-year programme, piloting in the West Midlands, to increase the proportion of ethnic minority career changers entering teaching and completing qualified teacher status.
By opening the door wider to career-changers, tackling ethnic disparities in selection and retention, and actively courting male candidates we can build a workforce that better reflects, and better serves, every child.