PROTESTERS gathered outside an English language school today after a teacher was allegedly discriminated against due to her non-native nationality.

Emek Akman claims that she was unfairly dismissed after being made to feel her Turkish background and accent made her less valuable as an English teacher.

Her union, Tefl Workers’ Union, said that her case highlights wider concerns about “native speakerism” in the English language teaching industry.

The protest was held outside the TopUp Learning London language school in Camden, north London this afternoon.

Ms Akman alleges the language school’s owner Sam Malafeh suggested she should be “rebranded” as a native English speaker and that she was accused of attempting to “steal” students after briefly speaking to them in Turkish.

She says that she was dismissed shortly afterwards without a fair disciplinary process or adequate justification.

“I teach English as someone who had to fight for English herself,” she said.

“That means I understand my students in a way no textbook can teach.

“I’m proud to be a Turkish English teacher. I should never have been made to feel that my accent or background made me less valuable.”

Tefl Workers’ Union rep Aidan Byrne-Sarno said: “So-called ‘native speakerism’ has no place in education. 

“Teachers should be judged on their skills, experience and care for students, not on whether they fit a narrow idea of what an English teacher is supposed to sound like.

“Emek’s case raises serious questions about how migrant and non-native English-speaking teachers are treated in the language teaching industry.

“The union will support Emek in the courts and on the streets. TopUp/TTI must be held to account.”

The college was contacted for comment.