If you are a first generation migrant in Europe, you are 50 per cent more likely to have been made fun of in the last three months, according to research into the lives of schoolchildren published by the British Council.

The research was conducted in 47 schools across Europe, chosen for their mix of children from different backgrounds – a total of 3,500 children were surveyed and over 1500 in the UK.

The research is part of a British Council project designed to improve integration in Europe’s schools by giving head teachers practical tools and guidelines to help them tackle the challenges of changing populations.

The main reasons for being ‘made fun of’, according to the children, were differences in physical appearance, clothing, language difficulties and religion.  

However, there were marked differences between countries. Disability was a major factor in Germany, whereas race loomed large in Italy. In the UK 46 per cent of respondents thought bullying was a problem compared with 16 per cent who said this in the Netherlands.

SOLUTIONS OFFERED
When asked how to remedy the situation, many children said there should be more religious holidays recognised in the school calendar and more time in class to discuss differences in backgrounds and cultures. Many also thought that inductions for migrant children when they start school could be improved.  

Using these findings and their personal experiences, head teachers and students from the 47 schools surveyed drafted a ‘White Paper’ of recommendations which was presented to policy makers at the European Parliament on 29 February. This precedes a Green Paper on integration from the European Commission, due out later this year.