Integrated Education on Post-Conflict Northern Ireland

Contact theory argues increased interaction between social groups will help prejudicial attitudes and alleviate racial and ethnic divisions. Contact theory has become the framework for integrated education in Northern Ireland promoting reconciliation, positive change, and equality by bringing Protestant and Catholic children and staff together. Continued political violence and sectarianism, Northern Ireland is in need of holistic mechanisms to promote reconciliation; religiously integrated schools are part of this process. This study is a qualitative analysis of the effectiveness of integrated education in Northern Ireland, limitations of contact theory, and the role of education in promoting reconciliation in post-conflict societies.