Teenagers from black and other ethnic minority backgrounds need mentors of the same race to stop them dropping out of school, according to a Labour councillor.

West Hendon councillor Agnes Slocombe is proposing a private member's bill at tonight's council policy conference meeting, which aims to provide role models for black and ethnic minority children in Barnet's schools.

Department for Education and Skills figures show that white pupils are twice as likely to get five GCSE passes, aged 16, than Afro-Caribbean students, who are also four times more likely to be expelled.

Mrs Slocombe said: "Black and ethnic minority young people often get a raw deal from schools. A lack of black teachers, worse exam results, more exclusions and racist bullying all hold young people back from fulfilling their true potential.

"A mentoring scheme, which could be funded by a Government grant, would be a small step in the right direction."

Mrs Slocumbe said a mentoring scheme she worked on with the children's charity Barnardo's in the mid-1980s had given her confidence in the idea. Barnardo's no longer runs the scheme because it says it has enough black staff to make specific mentors redundant.

"It just shows me that this can work. We need to stop talking, and get it done," she said. "They will be like social workers encouraging the children."

While Barnet schools do have mentoring schemes funded by an Excellence in Cities grant, there is nothing targeted specifically at black and ethnic minority children so far.

If councillors at the policy conference agree to the bill, it will be considered by the cabinet. If it is given approval, schools could see a new scheme being set up in time for the new school year next September.