EDUCATION ministers are under pressure from racial equality groups to investigate why an all-white team won a research project on multi-ethnic teaching.
The African Caribbean Network for Science and Technology is angry that the original research team from the Open University involved no black or Asian academics. After its bid was accepted, a member dropped out and was replaced by a black lecturer.
In a letter to Cheryl Gillan, parliamentary undersecretary of state for education and employment, the network claims the staffing switch was just a modification "to save itself the flak from the black and Asian press".
The OU said the black lecturer had not been available when the bid was put together.
A DFEE spokeswoman said decisions were based on merit. "We would choose people who would give us the best research results against a set of criteria."
The DFEE put the project out to tender following a report from inspection agency Ofsted expressing concern at the achievements of ethnic minority pupils.
Elizabeth Raekoala, general secretary of the African Caribbean Network, said: "To carry on with this bid now that it has been so compromised will leave your department open to the assertion that the whole project was just a cynical PR exercise following the publication of the damning Ofsted report."
She was joined by Herman Ouseley, chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, in calling for an investigation.
The OU said members of the project team were chosen on the basis of their academic background and their availability. The black lecturer who joined after one member left had considerable relevant experience and had not been available at the time of the original selection.