Ethnic Minority Agency in Mainstream Education : A Regional Perspective on a National Challenge

Ethnic Minority Agency in Mainstream Education provides a comprehensive overview of the lives of BAME educational professionals in a regional environment, dominated by racism, both explicit and implicit. Each chapter is informed by original research examining these different strands of the teaching profession and revealing the stories of their aspirations and obstacles in becoming successful educators. Irrespective of the role, position, level of experience of BAME professionals in mainstream education, there is a thread of marginalisation, injustice and oppression that runs through their individual and collective narratives.

Across the various chapters the experiences of school leaders, teachers, teaching assistants and teacher educators are captured through the empirical research which foregrounds the exploration, analysis and discussion. For some of the authors, their lived experience is intertwined with their chapter content and for others a candid examination of their ontological positioning and its impact on the storied experiences of their research participant.

Ethnic Minority Agency in Mainstream Education offers a platform for senior leaders in mainstream education to take action based on the findings of this research. Recommendations for change and reform focused on the regional experience of BAME educators are presented, demonstrating the urgency for more targeted action to centre support for BAME professionals and to remove the explicit and implicit barriers.