Spirituality, Faith and Education

The education system of any nation is inevitably both a reflection of recent and current policies and a vestige of bygone ages. Where a nation consists of more than one country—as is the case in the United Kingdom—regional variations and subcultural proclivities will add a further layer to what is already a complex historical and social artefact. ¹ While educational provision in Wales has been closely tied to that of England, and parallels with developments in Northern Ireland and Scotland can be discerned, there are significant differences, especially in regard to Scotland which has long had its own Department of Education. The devolution of political power from the UK Government in Westminster to the Northern Ireland Executive in 1998 (after 27 years of direct rule from Westminster), and to the Scottish and Welsh Governments in the following year, made possible an increase to the regional variation which already existed. ²