The latest pupil achievement data indicates that African, Caribbean, Bangladeshi and Pakistani pupils, as well as those from the Gypsy/Traveller/Roma group, are underachieving significantly by the time they are 14 years old.
Black and minority ethnic teachers also continue to be underrepresented in the teaching profession, and face barriers to their promotion and development.
Now the General Teaching Council, the professional body for teachers, is building a network for professionals with a responsibility and a commitment to promoting race equality in schools. The network, called Achieve, is underpinned by the belief that mainstreaming race equality is essential so that all people affected by the English education system have an equal chance of achieving highly.
The General Teaching Council for England (GTC) is the independent professional body for teaching. Its aim is to contribute to improving the standards of teaching and the quality of learning, and to maintain and improve standards of professional conduct amongst teachers, in the interests of the public. It achieves this aim by maintaining a register of qualified teachers, advising the Secretary of State and others on education matters, and investigating cases of alleged professional misconduct or incompetence (panels made up of elected teacher members hear and judge these cases).
The council is made up of elected teacher members, nominees from teacher associations and interest groups and members appointed by the Secretary of State to represent the other important stakeholders in education. Parents are one of these key groups represented.
The Achieve Network is a network aimed at educational professionals with an interest and responsibility in promoting race equality in schools. Members receive regular electronic newsletters, providing information to network members about the latest policy and practice developments. They can take part in online discussion forums and exchange boards to share their practice on a range of issues (which could include policies for reducing exclusion or sharing strategies used in schools where ethnic minority pupils are achieving highly). Finally, they can take part in focused project groups which aim to bring together education professionals face-to-face and to initiate real change at local and national levels. There will also be a project group dedicated to offering black and minority ethnic teachers and teaching assistants a forum to exchange and develop ideas in relation to their professional experience and development.
To share, stimulate and support good practice and influence policy in:
The Achieve Network aims to build two new types of relationships in the education system, in relation to promoting race equality. Firstly, it will provide a means for education professionals to share their experiences and practices with people with similar interests and roles. This horizontal networking aims to spread successful strategies across the education system quickly and effectively. Secondly, Achieve will also encourage vertical networking, providing educational professionals across the system with access to the latest policy developments and the means to influence, for example, the GTC's policy advisory role to government
Achieve is aimed at professionals with a responsibility for and commitment to promoting the achievement of black and minority ethnic pupils and a representative teaching workforce. The GTC, through the Achieve network, is keen to ensure that parents are given the opportunity to engage with the education profession on issues concerning race equality. To sign up, receive termly electronic newsletters and be part of a professional dialogue on issues concerning promoting race equality, go to their website:
.
You can also write to Shiraz Chakera at the GTC at Whittington House, 19-30 Alfred Place, London, WCIE 7EA for written information about the network, including a network sign-up card.
Parents can also promote the network to their children's schools through the governing body and by ensuring that school staff are aware of it. If you would like to find out more in order to share information with others, visit gtce.org.uk/achieve.
