Abstract

The education system has always played a key role in debates on publicpolicy in Northern Ireland. Education has also featured in issuesrelated to the conflict. In particular, three key themes have takenprominence within these debates: the selective system of secondaryand grammar schools, de facto religious schools, and curriculum initiativesto promote tolerance and reconciliation. Reflecting the highlevel of public interest, as well as ongoing research and policy discussions,the Education module of the 1999 Life and Times surveyincorporated these three key themes. This chapter will first outlinethe policy context for each theme, and then discuss the attitudes of thepublic towards them.