Racial discrimination has soared in schools as a result of four years of Con-Dem government policy changes, a poll for teachers’ union NASUWT revealed yesterday.

An on-the-spot poll at the union’s black and minority ethnic (BME) members conference found that 82 per cent had suffered discrimination, harassment or intimidation in the classroom.

Con-Dem policies like opening up schools to unqualified teachers, abandoning grants for BME teachers and removing the requirement for school inspector Ofsted to measure social cohesion are to blame, according to the union.

General secretary Chris Keates said: “The coalition government’s education reforms have been and are a backward step in race equality in schools, not only for BME children and young people but also for BME teachers.”