Children 'should be taught British values' to keep communities together

Areas of Britain are struggling to cope with the pace and scale of change as a result of immigration, according to a study.

Dame Louise Casey, who was tasked by former prime minister David Cameron with reporting on social integration amid concerns hundreds of radicalised young Britons were joining Islamic State, warned the country was becoming more divided as it became more diverse.

Following the year-long research she said there still big social and economic gaps between different ethnic groups.

The review concludes that schoolchildren should be taught "British values" of tolerance, democracy and respect to help keep communities together amid growing "ethnic segregation".

In particular, she highlighted the plight of women who found themselves marginalised because of poor English language skills while being subjected to "coercive control, violence and criminal acts of abuse, often enacted in the name of cultural or religious values".

The review calls for more English classes for isolated groups, greater mixing among young people through activities such as sport, and a new "oath of integration" enshrining British values for those who hold public office.

"Social integration is about closing the gaps that exist between people and communities," Dame Louise said.

"To help bind Britain together and tackle some of the division in our society we need more opportunities for those from disadvantaged communities, particularly women, and more mixing between people from different backgrounds.

"We need more effort to be put into integration policies to help communities cope with the pace and scale of immigration and population change in recent years.

"But we also need more of a spirit of unity, compassion and kindness that brings people together under our common British values of tolerance, democracy, equality and respect."

The review was commissioned by Mr Cameron in 2015 as part of a wider strategy to fight the "poison" of Islamic extremism.

While it found that Britain has benefited hugely from immigration and the increased ethnic and religious diversity it had brought, there had not been enough emphasis on integration.

The review calls on the Government to support a new programme to strengthen cohesion through promotion of the English language, raising employment levels among the most marginalised groups and "emancipating" women trapped in social isolation.

It highlighted the "huge national, cultural and symbolic value" of British citizenship and urged the promotion of British laws, history and values within the core school curriculum to build "integration, tolerance, citizenship and resilience" in children.

The review said the Government should consider requiring those coming to the UK seeking citizenship to take an oath of integration with British values and society on arrival, rather than waiting for their final citizenship test.

It highlighted how isolation can begin at a young age and urged the Government to establish safeguarding arrangements for children who are taken out of mainstream education by their parents - or never enter it to begin with.

Central government and local authorities should develop a range of indicators of potential breakdown of integration in an area - such as incidences of hate crime or deficiencies in English - with councils required to gather this information regularly, it said.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said: "This Government is building a democracy for everyone and our country has long been home to lots of different cultures and communities, but all of us have to be part of one society - British society.

"So while it's right that we celebrate the positive contribution that diverse groups make to British life, we also need to continue making sure that nobody is excluded from it or left behind."