Training for educators

Without question, educational settings are now more ethnically and culturally diverse with second and third generation families of minority ethnic groups as well as new arrivals, such as asylum seekers. However, educators are generally not representative of this growing diversity.

Discussion

Do you think that it matters if the educators are ethnically representative of the learner population or not? Why?

Recent research findings (DfES, 12.12.2003) indicate that, overall, schools felt the most important need is for quality staff and that ‘where schools do not have a staff that matches the ethnic mix of pupils, it is not in itself an issue’ (ibid., 2). However, information gained from the DfES (2003b) consultation summary Aiming High: Raising the Achievement of Minority Ethnic Pupils reveals that minority ethnic pupils themselves reported that they felt barriers to learning included:

unequal treatment by some teachers, a perceived lack of respect, from the point of view of African Caribbean pupils Within the Gypsy and Traveller communities there was a cultural expectation that young people would not complete their secondary education. Low literacy skills among families, and racial abuse/discriminatory behavior by other pupils and staff were some of the reasons given. (Teachernet, 08.01.2004)

Other respondents including professionals, parents and voluntary groups saw the need for a national strategy to support the raising of the achievement for minority ethnic pupils in schools. Over half listed training for educators as essential, stating that this needed to incorporate anti-racism training, and English as an additional language (EAL) (DfES, 2003b).

These views clearly indicate that educators generally still need to seriously consider how they manage to ensure they have high expectations for all learners. Also, training for educators on cultural and diversity issues needs to remain high on any development plan to enable the adaptation of policies and practices to be effectively evaluated and updated. In this manner the climate of schools can be supported so that conditions for learning are appropriate for learners from diverse backgrounds. As Cline (1998: 160) says: ‘a more desirable and attainable goal would be for trainers, employers and staff to ensure that relevant professionals are competent to work effectively with the full range of the ethnic and linguistic groups in their geographical areas’.