Education, equality and human rights: Exploring the impact of devolution in the UK

Abstract

Foremost amongst social policy interventions, state education has a singular and foundational role in the promotion of equality and human rights. This paper explores the way that such matters are addressed in the policy and law making programmes of the UK’s devolved administrations. It is argued that this is an appropriate locus of enquiry for the constitutional law establishing the devolved legislatures contains clauses empowering government to promote equality of opportunity; in the case of Wales and Northern Ireland, these are positive legal duties. Against the background of governments’ espousal of ‘mainstreaming’ equalities, analysis reveals that the respective administrations have made some advances in embedding the promotion of equality and human rights in the policy framework covering the schools curriculum, teacher training and inspections. Notwithstanding this, a number of issues and shortcomings are identified. Overall, the analysis reveals evidence of an ongoing ‘disconnect’ between the mainstreaming rhetoric and policy outcomes.