With nearly half of Black and minority ethnic (BME) teachers complaining of racial discrimination, schools in Britain have developed an "endemic culture of institutional racism,” a new research has found.

"Foremost, and most worrying, it is clear that the incidence of discrimination reported by BME teachers and leaders within the school system is indicative of an endemic culture of institutional racism,” The Scotsman quoted a study by Manchester University and Education Data Surveys, as saying.

The study examined the experience of more than 500 BME teachers in English state schools to analyse how discrimination affected their careers and chances of advancement.

It concluded that most BME teachers did not believe the teaching profession was inclusive.

According to the study, seven in ten BME teachers believe it is harder for them to gain leadership jobs in schools.

The findings also show that male BME teachers cite discrimination as the greatest barrier to their leadership ambitions. Among women it was the sixth biggest barrier.

Almost two thirds of African teachers said they had been discriminated against, compared with two-fifths of Pakistani teachers and a third of Indian and Caribbean teachers.

Four fifths of those questioned said they were "very" or "reasonably" ambitious, according to the report, which was commissioned by the National College for Leadership of Schools.

"While there is no doubt that some of those sampled had experienced discrimination, which is obviously unacceptable, this does not mean that the system is institutionally racist,” National College chief executive Steve Munby was quoted, as saying.