Looking for Peace in the National Curriculum of Scotland

National ministries of education set goals and aspirations for school environments, decide what schooling should encompass, determine which experiences and aptitudes students should gain, and select what values and principles should be embraced in learning. In 2009, Scotland released the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), a single curriculum for students ages three to eighteen. This mixed-method study investigates the CfE to empirically determine the presence of three elements found in peace education: recognition of violence, nonviolent conflict transformation tools, and nine elements of positive peace. It finds that the curriculum recognizes all three forms of violence: cultural, structural, and direct. It highlights collaboration and dialogue, says less on mediation, and emphasizes the positive peace element of Wellbeing. The other eight facets of positive peace receive less emphasis or are absent. In sum, there is ample room for greater inclusion of peace education principles in CfE, particularly in the areas of positive peace and tools for nonviolent conflict transformation.