Multicultural Education Considered by Cases in Northern Ireland

Abstract

In this paper I address education in Northern Ireland a country marked conflict between segregated Protestant and Catholic communities. Although the educational system has been separate for the two communities, some new movements for reconciliation have appeared. What I focus on mainly is the Education for Mutual Understanding (EMU) and ‘integrated schools’. The main purpose of this paper is to consider these new efforts in the context of ‘multicultural education’. First, I provide an historical outline of education and schools in Northern Ireland. Second, I describe and analyse the tow movements. By examining these experiments, we gain a fresh perspective on new movements for multicultural education.