Race watchdog's attack on Ofsted distorted evidence, says Woodhead

Research suggesting that Ofsted, the standards watchdog, is failing to tackle racism in schools is based on slender evidence, Chris Woodhead, the chief inspector of schools, said yesterday.

Research suggesting that Ofsted, the standards watchdog, is failing to tackle racism in schools is based on slender evidence, Chris Woodhead, the chief inspector of schools, said yesterday.

Mr Woodhead criticised the research ordered by the Commission for Racial Equality, which found that the terms "racial" or "race equality" appeared in only 0.25 per cent of 10,000 reports.

He said that the words "ethnic" and "ethnicity" appeared in a much higher proportion of reports.

The research also relied largely on the views of just six out of 8,000 inspectors and an analysis of 30 inspection reports. He accepted, however, that inspectors needed training in racial awareness and said that this would begin in the autumn.

The report from Professor Audrey Osler and Dr Marlene Morrison from Leicester University says Ofsted failed to act on recommendations in the Macpherson report - which followed the murder of the London teenager Stephen Lawrence - that it should take a leading role in preventing racism through education.

Gurbux Singh, the commission's chairman, accepted Ofsted's vital role in improving standards but said: "Ofsted needs to apply the same drive and attention to standardsof achievement when it comes to race if it is to ensure that all pupils get the excellence in education that they deserve."

While nearly 80 per cent of reports mentioned bullying, only 1.96 per cent talked of racial harassment.

Mr Woodhead told the researchers he was "too busy" to see them.

In a letter to the chief inspector, Professor Osler quoted the remark of a senior inspector that "race equality is not a priority. Our priority is underachieving white boys."

Mr Woodhead said he was surprised by the remark. "Our priority is underachievement, full stop," he responded.

Asked whether Ofsted had sent written guidance to inspectors after the Macpherson report, he wrote: "We do not rely on paper communication at Ofsted. Important issues are always a matter for discussion in division meetings."

Mr Woodhead said the commission had largely ignored Ofsted's new framework for monitoring how effectively schools ensured that pupils from ethnic minorities achieved their potential.