Comparing England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: The case for 'home internationals' in comparative research

Headnote

ABSTRACT The differences among the four education systems of the UK are often perceived as a nuisance by comparative researchers. This paper argues that they are also an opportunity. It describes the four systems and summarises their similarities and differences. It then presents five reasons for giving `home international' comparisons a more prominent role in comparative research. These are, respectively: their potential contribution to theoretical debates; specific differences among the four systems, which touch on core problems of educational research; the practical value of home international comparisons; their potential for policy learning; and the relative ease of conducting them.

1. Introduction

The UK is represented by four 'national' football teams, those of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Matches between these teams were once called `home internationals'. Each home country of the UK also has its own education and training system; this paper presents the case for `home international' comparisons of these systems.

For many comparative researchers, the differences among the four systems may seem a nuisance. The differences tend to be small, and often less important than the similarities, but they are compounded by a scarcity of data covering the whole UK on a comparable basis. They are further compounded by the shortage of accessible and reliable accounts which describe and compare the four systems. Most descriptions of UK education and training for international audiences focus on England. Texts which describe Scottish education (e.g. Clark & Munn, 1997) tend to be written for English rather than overseas audiences. There are fewer descriptions of Wales or Northern Ireland, and very few which compare all four systems (e.g. Mackinnon et al., 1996; Bell & Grant, 1977). Most international indicators, such as those of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (1997), present aggregate data for the whole UK, even if their concept validity is restricted to England. Intra-UK differences may also appear as a nuisance in European Union (EU)-funded studies which are organised around nation states, thus substituting administrative and political criteria for empirical and theoretical criteria in the design of comparative research.

It is not surprising that researchers, both within the UK and overseas, find it hard to cope with the differences among the UK systems. Many researchers shift their focus between England,...