Dutch 14 and 15-year-olds have more doubts about granting equal rights to immigrants than their peers in many other countries, according to an international research project partly carried out by Groningen University researchers. Only some 45% of 'native' youngsters in the Netherlands, Britain and Flanders (the Dutch speaking part of Belgium) believe in equal rights for immigrants, the research shows. In most other European countries, around 50% of youngsters believe in equality for all citizens. In a pre-general election poll, Geert Wilders' anti-immigration and Islam party PVV was the big winner under high school pupils. The researchers looked at attitudes to citizenship in 39 countries and found only one in four Dutch school pupils understood what active citizenship actually means. In Finland and Denmark, between 55% and 60% of young teens were aware of their civic responsibilities. International report [PDF]
The Dutch News
