LONDON, Jan 25: Schools should do more to foster a sense of Britishness in young people, a report warned here on Thursday amid growing debate over the threat of a break-up of the United Kingdom.

The study adds that citizenship lessons for British pupils, compulsory between the ages of 11 and 16, need to focus on helping both white pupils and those from ethnic minorities to build a sense of national identity.

This would be done by teaching the history of the Commonwealth, British empire and devolution and encouraging debate, not by conveying a fixed definition of Britishness, Education Secretary Alan Johnson said.

The question of national identity was thrust into the spotlight last week when a row over alleged racism towards Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty erupted on reality television show Celebrity Big Brother.

The furore prompted Mr Johnson to say that schools should focus on teaching “the core British values of justice and tolerance”.

He insisted that teaching pupils about the make-up of Britain would not be straying into “difficult political territory”.

“It's not about saying it would be wrong for Scotland to break away, it's about allowing them to discuss that,” he told reporters at a press conference.

The report, from former head-teacher Sir Keith Ajegbo, says that “core British values” such as tolerance and freedom of speech can and should be taught in schools.

“Many indigenous white pupils have negative perceptions of their own identity,” it said.

“White children in areas where the ethnic composition is mixed can often suffer labelling and discrimination.

“They can feel beleaguered and marginalised, finding their own identities under threat as much as minority ethnic children might not have theirs recognised.”

Following its publication, Mr Johnson said he also wanted schools to do more to build links between different ethnic communities in Britain, for example through twinning schemes.

The report acknowledged that community cohesion had become a key priority for the government following the July 2005 suicide bombings on London's public transport system.—AFP