BRITAIN:Children in England are to be taught "core British values" amid fears the country risks becoming divided into ghettos of ethnic and religious groups, the government said yesterday.
Education secretary Alan Johnson said he was accepting the recommendations of a report into schools commissioned in the wake of the 2005 London suicide bombings by four British Islamists who killed themselves and 52 others.
The government hopes to reverse a perceived growth in extremism among the country's 1.8 million Muslims by teaching children at school to understand and respect different cultures.
"Britain is committed to the values of free speech, the rule of law, mutual tolerance and respect for equal rights," said Keith Ajegbo, a former head teacher and author of the report.
Mr Ajegbo, who is of mixed British-Nigerian parentage, said teenagers should be taught British and cultural history to help build community cohesion.
"It is important [ schools] consider issues that have shaped UK society today and understand them through the lens of history," he added.
He said all schools should be required to twin with other schools of different ethnic, cultural, social and religious backgrounds, so that children could meet and work together.
His report said a new topic, "Identity and Diversity: Living Together in the UK", a compulsory course for 11-to-16-year-olds since 2002, should become part of studies for citizenship.
It would include lessons on immigration, the make-up of Britain from its constituent countries, the Commonwealth and the legacy of the British empire.
Classes would also include critical thinking about ethnicity, religion and race.
"We are a nation built from and by people from other countries," said Mr Johnson.
"We should celebrate our history and how it has created today's diversity, recognising the role played by immigrants in our success."
Mr Johnson said there was no intention to prescribe a fixed concept of "Britishness" on pupils. Rather, he wanted students to discuss and explore their identities.
Trevor Phillips, chairman of the commission for racial equality, told the report that Britain was "sleepwalking its way to segregation" as it became more divided by race and religion.