Once upon a time, in a backyard in Belfast, there stood a colossal fence made of unforgiving metal. It was like a towering castle wall, but instead of keeping out dragons, it kept in a predominantly Catholic neighborhood. One brave soul, a young lad in a blue sweater with his school crest on it, ventured forth each morn to his Catholic school, like a warrior on a quest – but without the sword and shield.

On the other side of the fence, in the mostly Protestant Shankill neighborhood, the children were bound for their own schools. They too were brave souls, but probably didn’t feel quite as intrepid as the Catholic kid. However, as he walked off into the Catholic institution, they looked on, possibly a little bit jealous – “He’s got a crest on his sweater!”

It’s been 25 long years since the Good Friday Agreement ended the bloody conflict in Northern Ireland – and boy, has the country changed. Unfortunately, one thing that hasn’t changed is the education system. In a mind-bending twist, school attendance is still divided along religious lines! Why, it’s as if the education system itself is stuck in a time warp, like some sort of Doctor Who episode.

Although the schools are state-funded and host the same curriculum, some Protestant church leaders seem to dominate certain school boards. Catholic school boards are managed by the Catholic church. The kids themselves could attend any school they please, but it seems like they almost always choose to follow in the religious footsteps of their families. You can practically hear the conversations at dinnertime: “Now, son, you’ll be going to a Catholic school, like your father did before you. None of that newfangled, ‘non-denominational’ stuff!”

Serious News: nytimes