Consistent underachievement by Portuguese pupils in English schools has been overlooked because Government statistics fail to distinguish between different European ethnic groups, says Feyisa Demie, head of research for Lambeth council. Dr Demie found Portuguese pupils often find it harder to adapt to English education than other migrants. There are around 300,000 Portuguese immigrants in Britain. Many are the children of domestic staff or agricultural workers and have little formal education. Dr Demie recommends that statistics on Portuguese pupils are collected separately.