Three rs-religion, ritual and rivalry: Strategic planning for integrated education in northern Ireland

The literature has been dominated for more than 50 years by the effects of the Education Acts of 1944 and 1988. There have, however, been a number of other initiatives that have received less attention but have nevertheless had a significant impact for some communities. One of these has been the development of integrated education in Northern Ireland. However the reduction in government support for this initiative together with a contracting market and increased competition from other schools has led to integrated schools, and their umbrella organization, NICIE, to realize that effective strategic planning is necessary. This paper considers the evolution of integrated education in Northern Ireland and considers how a particular aspect of strategic planning, situation analysis, can be effectively utilized.