As president, he made his mark in particular by backing moves to break the formal link between prices and wages.

But many placements are still arranged via a friend of a parent rather than through formal links.

They were, instead, a series of informal personal groupings with no formal links to political constituencies.

However, without formal links to any of the political parties it withered, and devolution and the establishment of an assembly were put on the political back burner.

Some state schools, known as faith schools, have formal links with religious organisations, and are permitted to promote a particular religious ethos and to use faith criteria in their admissions.