ITALY: The education minister has invited schools to organise short courses on teaching pupils how to greet immigrant children in their own languages.
There are now around 90,000 immigrants in state schools - 1.5 per cent of the total population. While this is smal compared with that of northern European countries, the number is rising steadily. According to the minister, Tullio De Mauro, at least 84 languages are spoken in Italian schools. Most of the children come from North Africa, Albania, and former Yugoslavia.
