Merton’s schools are institutionally racist, a councillor has suggested – sparking anger from teachers, unions and the community.

Councillor Agatha Akyigyina, a Labour member for Cricket Green ward, said schools “may unwittingly be institutionally racist” after figures revealed the rate of children excluded from Merton’s schools was twice the London average, with black children also excluded at a rate higher than the national average.

Coun Akyigyina is likely to be reported to Merton Council’s standards committee for misconduct following her comments, made at a Children and Young Person’s scrutiny panel last week.

They prompted headteacher of Rutlish School in Merton Park, Alison Jerrard, to speak out in defence of the professionalism of teachers and explain school governors are responsible for school exclusions.

Councillor Akyigyina refused to confirm or deny what she said following the meeting, despite several attempts to contact her.

Instead, she released a written statement that said: “David Cameron has complained that black pupils are permanently excluded from school at more than twice the rate of white pupils.

“I share the Prime Minister’s concern this is an issue for the whole of our society.”

Councillor Hilton, Conservative spokesman for education, said: “[Her comments] undermine the professionalism of all Merton teachers when extraordinary comments like these are banded around without proper consideration and evidence.

“To ignore the facts in this case, that white children are also excluded at a much higher rate than the national average is dangerous and divisive.

“We want to see exclusion rates of children of all races reduced in Merton but this requires that we work with our schools and teachers, not against them.”

Another panel member, Councillor Karin Forbes (Merton Park Independents), distanced herself from Coun Akyigyina’s comments and said she did not believe racism existed in Merton’s schools.

One Merton headteacher said the statistics showed strategies for tackling exclusion rates should be re-examined, but said it was too simplistic to say the different rates for ethnic groups were necessarily the result of institutional racism.

He said: “It’s about solving the behaviour issues – that has to begin with an individual approach.”

Spencer Barnshaw, an National Union of Teachers (NUT) representative in Wandsworth, said teachers working in inner city schools had multiculturalism and anti-racist policies “driven into them” and dealt daily with problem pupils who could be violent.

He said: “[Institutional racism] is a very general statement, which is not, I suspect, based in fact.

“It is ill advised and unfair.”

Graham Cluer, the south London representative for the NASUWT teachers' union, agreed it was unfair to say schools were racist on the basis of ethnic minorities being excluded from school at a higher rate.

Mr Cluer said: "The figures also show that boys are excluded at a higher rate. That hardly means schools are institutionally sexist."

Councillors on the panel had been discussing a report “Celebrating Success” where it was revealed Merton’s rate of school exclusions were twice the London average after rising to 24 in 2010-11.

It went on to say: “A majority of ethnic groups in Merton’s secondary schools and academy schools have a rate of fixed-term exclusions above the national group’s averages.

“Proportionally 10 per cent more black African pupils are excluded than nationally, 7.3 per cent more black Carribbean pupils, and 6.4 per cent more white British pupils.”

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