ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses the importance of story in the educational experience of children, and not just of young children. It identifies a number of the functions of story and discusses in some detail the significance of a variety of stories for developing an awareness of religious ideas and symbols. There can be no doubt that the Education Reform Act of 1988 has caused a revolution in the educational system of England and Wales. The educational tradition and practice of more than 100 years was swept away and schools found that the system of which they were part and which had been one of the most decentralized in Europe was one of the most centralized. A National Curriculum emerged with profile components, attainment targets, programmes of study and statements of attainment.
