Written by Yamina Bibi FCCT.

In February, as part of my role as a Commissioner for the Teaching Commission, I co-chaired a roundtable discussion with Dr Lisa-Maria Muller from the Chartered College of Teaching. 

The aim of the roundtable was to give Members and Fellows of the Chartered College an opportunity to contribute their voice to the discussion on the issues affecting the retention and recruitment of global majority teachers, which was then shared with Commissioners at the next meeting.

To frame the discussion, we asked colleagues in advance of the roundtable to consider their responses to three key questions: what are the factors affecting the recruitment and retention of global majority teachers; how might these factors be addressed at a policy level and what concrete support could be provided to the next generation of global majority teachers to attract them to and retain them in the profession?

It was a powerful discussion which began with the acknowledgment that the education system upholds and privileges ‘whiteness’ and that until the systemic barriers faced by global majority teachers are addressed by white leaders and policy makers, we will recruit teachers into a hostile environment which they may navigate alone. One of the key challenges that was discussed by members was the microaggressions faced by teachers from the global majority such as being treated differently as a result of their ethnic heritage and leaders viewing them through deficit ideologies. As a result, they were hindered from progressing to middle and senior positions and some even left the profession. The lack of representation at leadership level was also raised as a concern and members suggested that this could be improved by funding courses like Diverse Leaders which connect global majority teachers.

Further to this, emphasis was placed on the need for a ‘golden thread’ of DEI through curriculum, school life, staffing and professional development (including for Teaching Assistants who are often the most diverse workforce in a school); this would mean that teachers and leaders were always revisiting prior learning to ensure growth of understanding and knowledge.

A key concern raised by members was the disconnect in the way discrimination was experienced by staff from the global majority and the way leaders dealt with these  incidents when reported. Many felt alone when addressing racism and microaggressions in their own classrooms because leaders would provide little or no support system. This leans on the notion that racism is an individual experience rather than institutional or structural one. Without accountability and systems which mandate a need for an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion lens within schools and organisations, this will not be prioritised. 

Another key discussion point during the Teaching Commission roundtable focused on the hurdles faced by ITT providers and schools when recruiting international teachers such as navigating the equivalency of degrees from abroad and the limited funding available for Subject Knowledge Enhancement to support overseas teachers to learn the UK system (eg GCSE specs). Members felt that senior leaders need to know how to access good quality overseas teachers and that SKE courses need to be accessible and easy to find to support applicants from abroad. 

We ended the roundtable with a discussion on the concrete support Members and Fellows felt would attract the next generation of teachers from Global Majority groups. These included providing financial incentives such as bursaries and scholarships, ensuring safe spaces for teachers to voice concerns and EDI training at all levels of an organisation. Colleagues also questioned the role and effectiveness of unions in supporting those who report racism and asked unions to consider the diversity and training within their own organisations to ensure equity for all. 

The roundtable was a powerful way to hear and learn from the expertise and perspective of Members and Fellows of the Chartered College of Teaching. 

As an organisation, we are here to support organisations in implementing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion effectively. Members can access our ‘Leading Inclusive Schools’ course online and we look forward to working with our partners Being Luminary and Chiltern Learning Trust on our Mission-44-funded project to improve the recruitment of Global Majority trainees into teacher training. 

To drive meaningful change, three key recommendations emerged from the Teaching Commission roundtable discussion:

• Schools and policymakers must actively dismantle systemic barriers by embedding a ‘golden thread’ of DEI across all aspects of education, from curriculum to leadership development. 
• Accountability structures must be strengthened, ensuring leaders take responsibility for addressing racism and microaggressions while creating safe spaces for teachers to report concerns. 
• Targeted support for international teachers—including accessible Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses and financial incentives like bursaries—will be crucial in attracting and retaining talent from the global majority. 

By implementing these measures, we can work towards a truly inclusive and equitable teaching profession.

Go to our events page in MyCollege to get involved in a future event: https://my.chartered.college/events/