'A Fraught Path' - education as a basis for developing improved community relations in Northern Ireland

The outbreak of violence in Northern Ireland in the late 1960s led to criti cal examination of the possible role of the denominationally divided educat ion system in creating and sustaining community division. Since the early 1 970s there have been a number of attempts to bring children from Catholic a nd Protestant backgrounds together. These have followed two major tracks, e ither the establishment of programmes which can operate within the denomina tionally segregated system (Education far Mutual Understanding) or the sett ing up of new integrated schools. Both approaches have moved though a numbe r of phases but by the late 1980s both had become linked to official govern ment policy. During the last 5 years the interaction of educational initiat ives and political developments has led to considerable controversy and the resulting problems have created an uncertain future for both Education for Mutual Understanding and the planned integrated schools movement.