Oath of allegiance plan for pupils

A US-style oath of allegiance should be considered for UK schools as a means of heading off ethnic division in the classroom, according to an influential Labour backbencher.

The suggestion comes from Barry Sheerman, chairman of the Commons education select committee, as opposition mounts in Westminster to government proposals for more "faith schools", touted by Tony Blair as a means of raising standards.

More than 40 MPs have signed a Commons motion warning that creating more religious schools - Muslim as well as Church of England and Roman Catholic - could increase ethnic and racial divisions, and may even be unlawful. The dangers were illustrated days after 11 September when London's only state-funded Muslim school, the Islamia primary school in Brent, was forced to close temporarily because of death threats.

Ministers who first encouraged more religious schools last February are now looking for ways to prevent a flood of single-faith schools.

Last month's education White Paper reflected government doubts, stressing new faith schools would only be welcome "where there is clear local agreement". Finding means to ensure this is now thought likely to delay publication of the Government's Education Bill into the New Year.

Mr Sheerman has pointed to "citizenship education" as a means of mitigating divisiveness. He said: "Some people are saying we should go as far as to have a US-style oath of allegiance. The question is whether there is a summation of British citizenship that could be part of what people sign up to. This is certainly something I think the select committee may want to look at."