Archbishop: 'Multiracial schools need British history'

The Archbishop of Canterbury last night declared that schoolchildren in mixed communities should be taught British history and traditions in a bid to better understand the national identity.

Dr Rowan Williams said that children needed to understand how cultures evolved and the origins of the values and traditions which society now held.

A proper education "would enable a measure of literacy in respect of the language and the imagery of the majority", he said.

"Most importantly, it will set out an understanding of the way in which historical process shaped the culture."