Ethnic diversity in schools reduces discrimination

The study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council confirms that the ethnic composition of primary schools has a direct impact on children’s attitudes towards children in other ethnic groups.

Researchers from the Universities of Sussex and Kent looked at 20 schools in Sussex and Kent where the ethnic minority composition of the schools ranged between 2 per cent and 63 per cent.

Professor Rupert Brown, who led the study Identities in Transition: a longitudinal study of immigrant children said: “We found that, when the proportion of ethnic minority children in a school is at least 20 per cent, both ethnic minority children and majority children tended to have higher self esteem, children had more friendships with children from other ethnic groups, and there were fewer problems with peer relationships such as bullying.”

He concluded: “Our findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that the more contact children have with other ethnic groups, the more cross-group friendships they will have and the less prejudiced they will be.”