The Chilver Report: unity and diversity

Abstract

This is a study of the abortive attempt by the direct rule Conservative government in the early 1980s to impose unity on the diversity of initial teacher education (ITE) provision in Northern Ireland (NI) through the work of the NI Higher Education Review Group, chaired by Sir Henry Chilver. Harnessing hitherto untapped archives, it shows how government was forced to bow to the divergent views and religious interests of Northern Ireland the society. This realpolitik was to produce a much less radical shake-up of ITE activity while leaving the Catholic sector essentially intact. The paper demonstrates the relevance of historical factors, the risks inherent in the failure to establish representative review bodies and the power and political adroitness of the Catholic Church at a critical juncture. The authors conclude that, in the political and social context of the 1980s, Chilver represented ‘a bridge too far’.