Description
GENERIC ESSAY LAYOUT
INTRODUCTION
What is the essay going to say?
What is the essay question?
What is the context for answering this question?
Why is it important?
How are you going to answer it? (provide a brief overview of the structure of your essay)
What will you use to answer it and why? (any particular literature?)
MAIN BODY
Now you have to say what you said you were going to say in your Introduction.
Follow the order you gave in your introduction
Make sure to define any concepts and terms you will be using
Split separate sections up using appropriate headings
Use linking words between paragraphs
When making a new point, refer back to the point you just made. For example:
“Although I have argued above that schools are prisons,(old point) they also have their good points too.”(new point)
Use appropriate signposts so that the reader knows where they are in your argument
Present a balanced argument – if your question requires you to investigate/evaluate/analyse then this is very important.
Be critical! You are allowed to say that you disagree with an author, as long as you say why you think they are wrong.
You should also evaluate your sources. If you are writing an article based on Scotland, for example, and you evidence a paper which refers to the USA you should say why it is justified to refer to this study.
What were the main points/main findings of your paper?
What were the limitations of your paper? (time constraints, availability of literature, interpretations)
What should future researchers look at with regard to what you have investigated?
CONCLUSION
Now you have to go back and tell the reader what you said – only shorter
This essay is due in 3 days. I will submit some examples and an overview of the structure of the essay and the chosen topic. if u have any questions, please send a message to me.
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Seminar 8 – Alternative Education and Assessment Prep
▪ Requirements:
▪ 3000 word essay (+/- 10%). Word count does not include the reference list!
▪ Choose a question related to one of the critical issues we have looked at.
▪ Answer the question using a range of literature/sources (journal papers, books,
policy texts)
▪ Bear the following structure in mind:
▪ Introduction – What will you say and how will you say it?
▪ Main body – This is where you say what you said you will say in your introduction, in the
same way you said you would say it.
▪ Conclusion – What did you say? What is the answer to your question?
▪ Follow the assignment brief carefully
▪ Use reputable sources
▪ Journal papers and books
▪ Wikipedia, Study.com, Blogs
▪ Remember that language, structure and referencing are as important as the
content!
▪ Remember that the Introduction should introduce your essay (incl. structure) and
conclusion should be a brief summary of your essay and determine which
framework is more effective.
▪ Plagiarise!
▪ Copy from other students
▪ Use ChatGPT or other AI/essay farms to produce your paper
▪ Copy from websites, blogs, papers, books without referencing
▪ Struggle without asking for help
▪ Learner Development Services
▪ Tutors and Lecturers within reason!!
Write your question at the top of a blank page.
Use the space underneath to note the following:
▪
What are the concepts you will be exploring in your assignment?
▪
What route could you take to answer your question? Are there smaller
questions contained within your big question?
▪
Do you have a hypothesis?
▪ In your assignment, you will be expected to use a range of literature/sources to
answer your question.
▪ Use your question to identify some search keywords and phrases (at least 5)
▪ Using SUPrimo or Google Scholar, enter your keywords to find at least 5 relevant
journal articles, papers, books that could help you to answer your question. These
should be different from the literature on MyPlace.
▪ Write out these references as they would appear in an APA Reference List, and as
an in-text citation.
▪ Due: 29th January 2024 @ 5PM.
▪ Extension requests should be made via MyPlace.
▪ If you need any further support or advice, get in touch!
▪ [email protected]
GENERIC ESSAY LAYOUT
INTRODUCTION
What is the essay going to say?
•
•
•
•
•
What is the essay question?
What is the context for answering this question?
Why is it important?
How are you going to answer it? (provide a brief overview of the structure of your essay)
What will you use to answer it and why? (any particular literature?)
MAIN BODY
Now you have to say what you said you were going to say in your Introduction.
•
•
•
•
•
Follow the order you gave in your introduction
Make sure to define any concepts and terms you will be using
Split separate sections up using appropriate headings
Use linking words between paragraphs
When making a new point, refer back to the point you just made. For example:
“Although I have argued above that schools are prisons,(old point) they also have
their good points too.”(new point)
•
•
Use appropriate signposts so that the reader knows where they are in your argument
Present a balanced argument – if your question requires you to investigate/evaluate/analyse
then this is very important.
Be critical! You are allowed to say that you disagree with an author, as long as you say why
you think they are wrong.
You should also evaluate your sources. If you are writing an article based on Scotland, for
example, and you evidence a paper which refers to the USA you should say why it is justified
to refer to this study.
•
•
CONCLUSION
Now you have to go back and tell the reader what you said – only shorter
•
•
•
What were the main points/main findings of your paper?
What were the limitations of your paper? (time constraints, availability of literature,
interpretations)
What should future researchers look at with regard to what you have investigated?
REMEMBER TO CHECK AND EDIT YOUR WORK CAREFULLY BEFORE SUBMISSION!!
Evaluate the role of the hidden curriculum in a formal educational setting.
Word Count: 2716
Grade 65
Feedback: Thank you for this look at the hidden curriculum and its role in formal education.
I can see that you have a good understanding of what the hidden curriculum is and you have
referred to the major writers in this theory to speculate on how it operates in formal
education.
Your argument unfolds in a logical way and I find that you have engaged with arguments in
a sufficiently critical manner – you definitely can identify both the advantages and the
limitations of the hidden curriculum. I did wonder if you were making some assumptions
about the consciousness of teachers around the hidden curriculum. I suspect the idea is that
it incorporates some of those mundane things teachers and students take for granted
(things like school uniform, the layout of the classroom, classroom language) so much so
that it passes unnoticed. Do you think that teachers pay a lot of attention to these smaller
things, or even really understand their impact?
On page 8, you mention that the teacher may not tell the whole story in certain subjects. In
fact, it is likely that the teacher would never be able to tell the whole story in any subject such is the phenomenon of pedagogical reduction, where the teacher chooses what it is
important to pass on and obscures everything else. I was pleased to see you mention this in
this context (even without the terminology!).
Overall, I think this is a good attempt at researching a difficult concept. To improve your
writing further, for future assignments, I would have liked to have seen you set out a
structure for your paper in your introduction (tell the reader what you are going to do and
how), and also a reflection in your conclusion of any limitations of your paper. It’s also OK to
use headings to signpost each of your sections just to help your reader to map out your
argument effectively.
When students are in a formal educational setting, they learn things that are set in the
curriculum such as reading, writing, counting and so forth. This overt curriculum is what many
people believe helps children progress in life and what makes them go further. However, it
can be argued that the role of the ‘Hidden Curriculum’ can be far more influential in students’
lives, if it is taught correctly that is. The hidden curriculum is described as learning ‘which
includes information, beliefs, and ways of behaving in one’s society’ (Cornbleth, 1984;
Jackson, 1968). In other words, it is what a child in a formal educational setting learns socially,
for example making friends and how to act in social situations. It is also described as ‘a
perspective’ or ‘world-view’ (Sharp & Green, 1975). There is a strong division from scholars
when it comes to evaluating the role of the Hidden Curriculum in a formal educational setting.
On one side there is the argument that this can be more damaging than helpful, and it
depends on who is teaching as it can lose its importance, whereas, the other side of this
debate shows that it is influential for children growing up and entering the real working world
as it gives them a taste of what it is like being in a society. This essay will argue both sides of
this debate and explore the role of the hidden curriculum in a formal educational setting but
will argue that it does more good than being a hinderance for young people.
The hidden curriculum was labelled by Jackson (1968) and he focuses on the way in which
students learn to cope with the systems of crowds, praise and power in classrooms, and how
a teacher is a child’s first “boss”, therefore preparing them for the working world at a young
age (p. 3-37). However, this could mean that children can learn how to play ‘the game’ which
is school and how to please their teachers and conform to the reward system that appears in
a lot of classrooms (Apple, 1971). This is not entirely true as although some students will learn
how to people please around them, for the most part this hidden curriculum will be beneficial
for the socialisation of a lot of young people and they will know how to be successful when
they are older and working. The hidden curriculum does not solely relate to what the teacher
believes and teaches without it being in the formal curriculum, it links back to the socialisation
of the student. Moreover, this can be used to the teachers’ advantage as Jerald (2006) noted
that when teachers are aware of the importance and influence of the hidden curriculum, they
will always think twice about their personal attitudes with their students and may use it as a
method to send specific messages to students through these approaches, such as cooperative
learning (Alsubaie, 2015). This shows that the students will learn a lot more skills that will be
vital to them in the real world, from teachers who are aware of their influence and who are
also aware of the power of the hidden curriculum. Overall, these debates show the positive
impact that the hidden curriculum can have on young people in a formal setting, as they will
learn vital skills through this and the teachers can use it to their benefit and to the benefit of
the students to make it as useful as possible for them. This is backed up by Schiro who explains
that teachers can enhance the use of schools through the hidden curriculum as they can
provide their students with the needs of learners that will guide determine the curriculum
(Schiro, 2008). Ultimately, trying to get the most out of the curriculum for the child.
The hidden curriculum can also be immensely useful in a formal setting as people learn
through experiences. In other words, the hidden curriculum refers to those norms and values
usually not talked about in teachers’ statements of objectives or goals, even though such
norms and values are implicitly and effectively taught in their classrooms.(Giroux, 1978).
Giroux (1978) states the positive effects as he says: “the heart of the school’s function is not
to be found in the daily dispensing of information, but in the day-to-day social encounters
shaped by the structural properties of the educational setting.” (p.149). From this, it is clear
that Giroux is a strong advocate for the hidden curriculum as it can teach a lot more to
students as that is how most people learn, through experiences. As we know, children and
young people will not have experienced a lot in their lives at that point, but the hidden
curriculum can give the students a chance to learn through the experiences of their teacher.
Alsubaie (2015) has noted that teachers do have an impact on their students’ behaviours,
beliefs, experiences, skills, and knowledge which can develop their students both personally
and academically. Therefore, the hidden curriculum is vital in a formal educational
environment as students can learn more about themselves and their personal relationships,
how they would act in society. However, on the other hand, this could have a more negative
impact than a positive one on students as the teacher could influence their negative views,
behaviours or opinions which the child will follow and take into society when they grow-up.
Moreover, the teacher may have views that are set in stone and do not change, which would
massively influence what the student thinks. However, this is on the rare occasion and most
educators will use the hidden curriculum for good rather than it having negative effects on
their students. For example, in Schiro’s book Curriculum Theory: Conflicting Visions and
Enduring Concern (2008) he talked about learner centred approaches and the importance of
this through the hidden curriculum as it supports the child’s needs. This once again proves
the importance of the hidden curriculum in a formal educational setting as it can be used for
the students’ advantage and educators can make their approaches beneficial. Overall, it is
clear that the hidden curriculum may be useful in formal settings, however, a teacher must
be aware of what they are influencing their students with and making sure that the child is
always put first when it comes to this and they are not sending negative messages out that
the child could imitate in the future.
Another positive feature of the hidden curriculum is that it allows the student to, although
influenced by their educator, to find their own path of socialisation within the formal
educational environment. Gouldner (1970) supports a paradigm that is rooted in an
individual’s search to transform themselves and their activity, furthermore, he states that
society is a chance for an individual to adapt to structural change through their social
involvement. This further backs up the argument that the hidden curriculum is important in
a formal setting as it allows each individual student to progress and develop further through
socialisation. It is clear that students do not just learn socialisation skills and “adjustment to
authority” through just schools, and in particular the hidden curriculum as they will learn a
significant amount in their home lives and from their families (Sigel, 1970, p.105). However,
Sigel (1970, p.316) has stated that:
“They [public schools] facilitate the political socialisation of the mainstream young and tend
to equip them with the tools necessary for the particular roles they are expected to play in a
given society. One may wish to quarrel with the differential roles the government and the
schools assign to students, but it would probably be considerably more difficult to deny the
school’s effectiveness”
Here, Sigel explains that the hidden curriculum is highly effective in public schools as it
successfully teaches students to respect authoritative figures and has a positive impact on
socialisation skills, and it is hard to deny this. This point is further backed up by Easton and
Dennis (1969) as they argue that having an authoritative figure in a child’s life earlier on when
they are still learning will effectively improve the relationship between children and the
‘structures of authority and legitimacy in a society’ (p.162). Overall, this strong side of the
debate highlights the importance of socialisation for children and political awareness, these
skills will also follow them in life, along with their overt curriculum skills, and will allow the
students to respect authoritative figures in their lives meaning they will have the opportunity
to become more successful in life. However, the counterargument to this is that everyone
should not conform to the status quo and school should do more than teach every student to
be the same.
On the other hand, there have also been numerous arguments on the negative side of a
hidden curriculum in a formal educational setting. There are many contradictions that arise
in a formal school setting, for example as Cornbleth et al describe:
“cultural (including political and intellectual) diversity is lauded by teachers or textbooks as
contributing to the vitality of a democratic society, but students are rewarded, informally or
with higher grades, for conforming to their teacher’s notion of the good student or citizen”
(p. 30, 1984)
This highlights that there can be a clear bias in schools and it all depends on what the teacher
personally describes as a good student or what they think is good teaching for students. Thus,
this may allow the hidden curriculum to ‘flatten, rather than to reveal phenomena we should
be exploring’ (Cornbleth, 1984, p.30). Moreover, this can be more of a hinderance than a help
to students as it may not allow them to reach their full potential in school, or could cause
unequal treatment or opportunities for certain students as they will know how to gain
rewards such as good grades and how to play the system. This point is backed up by Lacey
(1977) as he notes that students become adept at playing school in order to gain advantages.
However, just because they are successful academically does not mean that they would be
successful in the real world after a formal educational setting and that is why the hidden
curriculum is important for the growth and development of students. This is another reason
why teachers should be aware of what they are teaching and how their influence can impact
the individuals that they educate. Overall, in order for the hidden curriculum to have a
positive impact on students, teachers must treat everyone the same and allow the students
to learn through their own experiences. However, this point can be counterargued by the fact
that if some teachers maybe do show some bias and not everyone has an equal opportunity,
this can also socially prepare students for the competitive working world and allow them to
gain the skills to deal with this in the correct manner, along with having a positive attitude
towards work.
There are further negative sides to the hidden curriculum in a formal educational setting that
may occur and hinder a child’s progression through school. Jackson, the pioneer scholar who
labelled what the hidden curriculum was and stood for, has noted that for students who have
trouble following and internalising classroom rules and daily routines, then discipline
problems may occur (Jackson, 1968). This again may link to the student not fully
understanding what the hidden curriculum really means and what it includes, however, to
prevent disruption in classrooms the teacher should make students aware of what they are
teaching both formally and informally. Another negative effect that can arise from the hidden
curriculum is that students may get so used to following what their educator is telling them
and the educators beliefs, opinions, and so on, that they will learn to not stand up to a higher
figure and will not challenge teachers on educational issues (Wren, 1999). Although it is
important for students to retain information and how to behave from their teachers, there
has to be a middle ground as they must form their own opinions and thoughts through not
only what their teacher is telling them, but from their own experiences and if their teacher is
saying something that they do not agree with then they should have the courage to challenge
this. This is how students will progress, and again challenging will help them in life after school
as it is an important socialisation skill. Neve and Collett (2017) back this point up as they state
that students should be aware of the hidden curriculum to ensure that principles are
maintained instead of losing themselves in the culture of it. Furthermore, they argue that if
students have an awareness of this then they actually avoid ‘picking up bad habits’ (Neve &
Collett, 2017, p. 494). This emphasises the point that in order for the hidden curriculum to be
a good thing for the students, they must be able to understand it fully in order to succeed.
Overall, it is clear that the role of the hidden curriculum is as important for a child’s
development in a formal educational setting, this is proven when a child who misbehaves
constantly or goes against a teacher will be taken out of school even quicker than a student
who is struggling to meet coursework requirement or is failing their exams (LeCompte, 1978).
This shows how much of an impact the hidden curriculum can have.
Finally, the hidden curriculum may have a negative effect on students in a formal educational
setting as the teacher who is influencing students may not tell the whole story in certain
subjects, which could lead the student to believe the wrong things. Sigel (1988:114) states
that teachers must treat their students with respect and allowing their students to ‘question,
challenge, and to demand reasons and justification for what is being taught’ and they must
always be honest with them. Furthermore, he argues that if a teacher ‘indoctrinates’ their
students into believing things that are not true, then they are not treating them with respect
(Siegel, 1988: 114). This is important to remember when discussing the role of the hidden
curriculum in schools as young people can be easily influenced and so a teacher must treat
their students with the same respect the expect to be treated with. Wilson (1988) agrees with
this as he states that students learn by example and in order for learning by example to be
successful, one has to ‘grasp the concepts, reasons and point of the whole enterprise (Wilson
1988: 292). Therefore, the teacher must make their beliefs, opinions and examples explicit
for the students to understand this and for the role of hidden curriculum have the positive
impact that it has the potential to do. This may also link to the teacher simply not revealing
all of their intentions to the students yet will expect them to achieve them all. This could be
seen as the teacher being very deceiving and going against what is meant by the hidden
curriculum, as it simply will not work if the educator is not honest and open with who they
are teaching.
In conclusion, the role of the hidden curriculum in a formal educational setting can have a
positive impact for both students and teachers, if it is understood correctly. The hidden
curriculum does serve to prepare students for the real world that they will inevitably
experience later in life on more than just an academic perspective. It can be made in a way,
for example, student centred learning, that will be highly beneficial for the student. Although
there can be some downfalls to the hidden curriculum, such as if the teacher does not express
it in the correct way or ‘deceives’ their students by not telling them the full story of something
and making them believe something different to what they believe, this can be avoided and
the teacher must make it clear what they are informally teaching their students as they can
be highly influential. For students to really progress and grow through school not just
academically but socially and personally too, the hidden curriculum is vital as schools are
places that do more than just teach formal subjects, it is the prime environment for young
people to understand the world and learn how to adapt to it.
REFERENCES
Alsubaie, M.A. (2015). Hidden Curriculum as One of Current Issues of Curriculum. Journal of
Education and Practice, 6(33), 125-128. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1083566
Apple, M.W. (1971). The Hidden Curriculum and the Nature of Conflict. Interchange 2, 27–
40 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02287080
CORNBLETH, C. (1984) Beyond hidden curriculum? Journal of Curriculum Studies, 16 (1): 2936. DOI: 10.1080/0022027840160105
Easton, D & Dennis, J. (1969) Children in the Political System: Origins of Political Legitimacy.
(New York: McGraw-Hill), 162-440.
Giroux, H. (1978) Developing Educational Programs: Overcoming the Hidden
Curriculum, The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and
Ideas, 52:4, 148-151, DOI: 10.1080/00098655.1978.10113565
Gouldner, A. W. (1970). The coming crisis of western sociology. New York: Basic Books,
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02287080
Jerald, C.D. (2006). School Culture: The Hidden Curriculum. Washington, DC: The Centre for
Comprehensive
Lacey, C. (1977). The Socialization of Teachers. Routledge.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203126004
LeCompte, M. (1978). Learning to Work: The Hidden Curriculum of the Classroom. Anthropology
& Education Quarterly, 9(1), 22–37. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3216617
Neve, H., & Collett, T. Empowering Students with the Hidden Curriculum. (2017).The Clinical
Teacher, 15(6), 494-499. https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.12736
Orón Semper, J.V., Blasco, M. (2018). Revealing the Hidden Curriculum in Higher
Education. Stud Philos Educ 37, 481–498 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-018-9608-5
Portelli, J.P. (1993) Exposing the hidden curriculum. Journal Of Curriculum Studies, 25(4),
343-358, DOI: 10.1080/0022027930250404
Sadker, D., & Sadker, M. (1985). Sexism in the classroom. Journal of Vocational Education,
60 (7), 30-32
Schiro, M. S. (2008). Curriculum theory: Conflicting visions and enduring concern. Los
Angeles: Sage Publications. ISBN 9.
SIEGEL, H. (1988) Critical thinking as an educational ideal. In W. Hare and J. P. Portelli (eds)
Philosophy of Education: IntroductoryReadings (Calgary, Alberta: Ditselig), 107-12
Sharp, R. and Green, A. (1975) Education and Social Control. Routledge and Kegan Paul,
London.
https://www.scirp.org/(S(vtj3fa45qm1ean45vvffcz55))/reference/ReferencesPapers.aspx?R
eferenceID=1815184
Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes.
Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-57629-2
WILSON, J. (1988) Example or timetable? a note on the Warnock fallacy. In W. Hare and J. P.
Portelli (eds) Philosophy of Education:IntroductoryReadings(Calgary, Alberta: Ditselig), 291294.
Wren, D. J. (1999). School culture: Exploring the hidden curriculum. Adolescence, 34(135).
https://web.s.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=bf9d1825-9888-4704bf9e-a6f5d3093345%40redis
Is there space for religious schools in 21st century Scotland?
Module Number – X7494
Words – 3162
Grade: 75
Feedback: Thank you for this consideration of religious schools in 21st century Scotland,
centring on issues of sectarianism that are all too familiar for anyone who grew up on the
west coast of Scotland in the last 50 years and beyond. I think you have done very well to
address these issues in this paper and were courageous to choose such a polemic topic.
Your introduction sets out the issue very well and you identify the smaller questions that
you will be looking at throughout your paper. You certainly follow this structure as you
progress. The look at the historical context is vital and you link this nicely to go into the
argument as to whether this is still relevant today. And you skilfully present two sides of the
argument as to whether it is still needed.
The separation of church and state is indeed a problematic philosophical question and one
that has been considered by many before us. I did think this section asked an important
question, and you say that it is a philosophical one, but you didn’t really address it
philosophically (but you still managed to do so relatively effectively).
I think your conclusion is good and answers the question you have set out to research.
Overall, it is a very good paper in the excellent range.
The debate of religious schooling in Scotland is long standing and particularly poignant due
to the extent of sectarianism which exists within the country (Scottish Government, 2015).
The religious school debate differs from Scotland’s UK counterparts, England, and Wales,
firstly because the system is separate providing education is a devolved Scottish power.
However, the differentiation exists largely because faith-based schools in other parts of the
UK include Church of England, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, and Hindu faith
schools (Danechi and Long, 2019). Whereas, in Scotland there are a total of 2569 schools,
approximately 15% of these are Catholic, with one Jewish primary school, and three
Episcopalian primary schools (McKinney, 2008). Effectively proving that state schooling in
Scotland is either non- denominational or Catholic. As such, this paper will see faith-based/
denominational schools as Catholic schools in Scotland and will explore three key arguments
surrounding the justification for their continued existence in 21st century Scotland. These
include whether the historical need for Catholic schools persists today? If catholic schools
encourage and exacerbate division in Scotland? And ultimately if there should be a
separation between the church and state? I will provide evidence to these issues by
highlighting arguments in the literature for and against the existence of catholic schooling in
modern Scotland.
Historical Context
Primarily, it is important to highlight the historical need for catholic schooling in Scotland in
order to provide context to the current picture today. From the early 19th century and
onwards, immigration from Ireland to Scotland increased immensely largely due to the
great famine (1846-1850) and poor living and working conditions (Gráda, 1973). The influx
saw a large amount of Irish catholic immigrant’s experience hardship, racism, and injustice
due to their religion from the existing Protestant community in Scotland. As such, catholic
schools were created as a safe space for the now large number of catholic children to
experience education without the fear of discrimination or harassment. They were funded
by the catholic church and typically were not well-resourced, often resulting in low levels of
education and a predominantly working-class demographic of Catholics (Young, 1988). The
expanding Catholic community was appreciated by Scotland and Catholic schools were then
included in the Education Scotland Act (1918). Although the Act was not representative
solely to Catholics, it was the first piece of Scottish policy which conveyed the idea that
education should not be dependent on economic circumstance, but accessible to all, which
of course included Catholics (Paterson, 2020). Education was now a Universal Scottish right
and catholic schools received state funding. Generally speaking, most critics and enthusiasts
of faith-based schools in Scotland agree upon the initial need for catholic schooling due to
the treatment of Catholics (McEnaney, 2015). However, critics (including McEnaney) argue
this is an outdated necessity which only encourages a divide between Catholics and
Protestants in Scotland, and ultimately exacerbates Scotland’s ‘secret’ shame – sectarianism.
Historical need and relevance today
A leading voice in the argument that anti-Catholicism is a forever dying issue of the past is
Tom Devine. Despite praising the work and educational provision of Catholic schools,
Devine’s views convey that the historical need for separate Catholic education is outdated.
Devine (2018) highlights the progress the Catholic community has made in Scotland since
the 19th and 20th century. He first highlights the no longer existing difference in employment
levels or religious discrimination within workplaces. Shifting the mentioned narrative that
Catholics were predominantly working class and poorly educated. He references education
and health inequality statistics which no longer show significant differences between
religions as well as not only a tolerance between Catholics and Protestants, but
intermarriage and friendships between the two religions. The Catholic position in Scotland is
no longer one of poverty and lower-class citizenship, but a thriving, crucial part of Scottish
culture and development. Additionally, Devine argues that hate crime statistics directed at
Catholics are perpetrated by a small demographic of young males who have consumed
alcohol or drugs and predominantly take place at the weekend. He reiterates that this is no
excuse for the behaviour but does highlight that it shifts the blame from Protestants in
general, and to a smaller ‘problematic’ population where the intentions are likely not
exclusively religious, but instead fuelled by external issues such as Scotland’s football rivalry
(which I will further discuss within this paper). Devine finishes by claiming politicians and
journalists are guilty of scaremongering Catholics and creating a sense of Catholic
victimhood. Devine may be right in the progress of the treatment of Catholics, but many
argue the tensions of the past can still be felt in Scotland and the historical need for Catholic
schools is not as outdated as he thinks.
While Devine and other Catholic school critics may argue that the historical need for
Catholic schooling is outdated due to the obvious growth in tolerance towards the Catholic
community in Scotland. It can be argued that intolerance and danger persist in Scotland at
the hands of the Orange Order and subsequent marches. Originally formed in 1975, the
Orange Order was made to uphold the ideals of the Protestant Ascendancy due to rising
demands of Catholic Emancipation in Ireland (Britannica, 2018). While positioning
themselves not as anti-Catholic or sectarianist, but solely celebrating Ulster Protestant
culture, over the years the Orange Order and the marches that take place have been
associated with conservatism, unionism, and anti-Catholic hate speech and violence
(Michael, 2019). During an Orange walk in 2018, St Alphonso’s Church in Glasgow was
targeted, and Parish Priest Canon Tom White was assaulted and verbally abused by
followers of the parade (Horan, 2018). Providing clear evidence that although the order
claim not to be anti-Catholic, the message and feeling that is put out and perceived is o
