The number of senior staff applying for head teacher posts in primary schools is at "dangerously low levels", researchers warned.

An analysis of headship advertisements, commissioned by the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and the Secondary Heads Association (Sha), found 30% of primary and 29% of secondary heads were retiring or leaving early.

David Hart said decent basic salaries were needed

Nearly 60% of primary schools received five or fewer applications for advertised posts - up 14% on last year.

The average short-list was three candidates and only 1% of primaries could short-list more than six.

Many positions were being re-advertised - 30% of primary and 22% of secondary posts.

The survey - Professor John Howson of Education Data Surveys - covered 50% of all headships advertised in the Times Educational Supplement during the period September 2000 to May 2001.

The findings come as from the University of North London suggests ethnic minority teachers are much less likely to be promoted to positions of head or deputy than their white colleagues.

'Declining interest'

Professor Howson said he had spoken before of a picture of declining interest, dwindling numbers of applications and smaller short lists.

"It is depressing to find that this year's report continues to confirm this trend for both headships and deputy head posts," he said.

David Hart, General Secretary NAHT warned that recruitment would continue to deteriorate and retention would become more difficult.

"The government must stop relying heavily on performance related bonuses and start supporting decent basic salaries for those undertaking one of the most accountable jobs in the public sector."

John Dunford, general secretary of SHA said too many school leadership posts were having to be re-advertised.

"A substantial pay rise is an important factor in attracting more people to headship and this needs to be in line with salaries in comparable jobs," said Mr Dunford.

Over-accountability was also an important factor in dissuading people from applying for headship, he added.

Ethnic minority staff

The University of North London's survey of teachers from 932 school in England suggests many potential recruits to these senior positions are being overlooked.

While 21% of white teachers with over 15 years' experience were heads or deputies, only 12% of black teachers and 14% of Asian teachers held such positions, the university's Institute of Policy Studies in Education found.

We are observing institutional racism in the career development process Professor Alistair Ross

The report also found that ethnic minority teachers were more likely to be in insubordinate positions throughout their careers than their white colleagues.

Report author, Professor Alistair Ross, said there was a culture of institutionalised racism.

"The conclusion has to be drawn that, taken as a whole, the career development structure in a significant proportion of these schools works in such a way that black and Asian teachers are much less likely to assume positions of authority than white teachers.

"Although there may be no conscious policy on the part of governing bodies to operate in a discriminatory way, the outcome - that can be observed by aggregating all their individual acts of appointment - must suggest that we are observing institutional racism in the career development process," the professor said.