Diversity in the teaching profession: annual data report – May 2022

3. Next Steps

Scottish Government accepts that the commitment to achieving the target of having at least 4% of teachers identifying as being from a minority ethnic background by 2030 is highly ambitious, particularly as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic. To meet the target, it is estimated that between 8% and 10%⁶ of all new teachers will need to come from an ethnic minority group. This will require a significant shift from the current position; in 2021 less than 3% of probationers on the Teacher Induction Scheme came from an ethnic minority background. It is possible that when the target is updated following the release of the 2022 census statistics on Scotland's minority ethnic population it will be even more challenging to achieve. The figures discussed in the opening section of this paper will need to be reviewed with the publication of the 2022 census to establish whether Scotland's minority ethnic population has increased from the 4% level in 2011. 2022 census data will begin to emerge in early 2023^[7].

Despite this, the Scottish Government remains committed to investing in the diversity of the teaching workforce as reflected in the most recent Programme for Government^[8] commitment. As part of this, the new Diversity in the Teaching Profession and Education Workforce subgroup, and the overarching Race Equality and Anti-Racism in Education Programme of which it is part, will continue to focus on ways in which to support, retain and promote existing minority ethnic staff, as well as increasing the numbers undertaking and completing ITE.

The sub group will use the following 4 actions to drive these ambitions forward:

• Work with key stakeholders to develop better mechanisms of support with a focus on sponsorship, improved levels of racial literacy, better processes for reporting racist incidents and increased sharing of best practice, all of which will support minority ethnic probationers, teachers and other education workforce staff to ensure that they are well recruited, retained and promoted within education employment.
• Work with the newly appointed Senior Education Officer (National Race Diversity Lead), within the General Teaching Council for Scotland, to establish effective leadership at all levels within local authorities, Regional Improvement Collaboratives and schools in order to facilitate improved ethnic diversity within the teaching profession.
• Work with the Scottish Council of Deans of Education and other key stakeholders to ensure that Initial Teacher Education providers have a robust framework in place that increases the number of minority ethnic ITE students, which supports them throughout their journey and into permanent posts and promoted positions.
• Work with Scottish Government analysts and policy officials to collect and publish robust data which enables detailed monitoring of progress on addressing underrepresentation.

This commits the Scottish Government to ensuring that the diversity of Scottish society is recognised and represented in the education workforce, at all levels, in line with the ambitions of the Race Equality Framework.