News, analysis, and updates on educational policies, school infrastructure, curriculum reforms, and programmes supporting students and educators in Northern Ireland.
Education Minister Paul Givan has launched a 16-week public consultation on a new statutory curriculum for Northern Ireland that would fundamentally reshape what children learn from Year 1 to Year 10. The proposed “Northern Ireland Curriculum 2028” represents the most significant overhaul of classroom content since 2007, aiming to replace […]
Education Minister Paul Givan has welcomed a UK Government announcement to ban social media platforms for children under 16, describing the move as a “decisive action” to protect young people from online harms. Unveiled by Prime Minister Keir Starmer on 15 June 2026, the prohibition will prevent under-16s from accessing
Education Minister Paul Givan has announced a further £1.91 million investment in 42 community-led projects aimed at tackling educational disadvantage across Northern Ireland. The funding represents the second tranche of Locality Led Projects under the RAISE Programme, bringing total investment in these grassroots initiatives to £5.61 million since the scheme
Education Minister Paul Givan has paid tribute to teachers, youth workers and education leaders recognised in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours, praising their “outstanding contribution” to children and young people across Northern Ireland. The announcement, published on 12 June 2026, saw several education professionals awarded OBEs and MBEs for services
Education Minister Paul Givan has announced plans to develop tailored curriculum frameworks for Special Schools and Irish-medium education, acknowledging that the current Northern Ireland Curriculum does not adequately meet the needs of pupils in these sectors. Applications opened today for experienced practitioners to join dedicated working groups that will shape
Post-primary schools across Northern Ireland will retain access to the online Teacher CPD Academy for the 2026-27 academic year, Education Minister Paul Givan has announced. The extension secures continued investment in professional learning after more than 10,000 teachers engaged with the platform during 2025-26, logging over 45,000 hours of evidence-informed
Education Minister Paul Givan has issued an urgent ministerial statement urging schools across Northern Ireland to remain open and ensure public examinations proceed as planned, despite two nights of violent disorder in Belfast that have left dozens of families homeless and communities reeling. The statement, published on 10 June 2026,
Education Minister Paul Givan has expressed disappointment after several teaching unions announced plans to ballot members on industrial action over workload, just weeks after the Department published a detailed Action Plan intended to address these concerns. The ballot, scheduled to run from 10 June to 1 September 2026, raises the
Education Minister Paul Givan has awarded a £2.15 million contract to a consortium of Northern Ireland universities to develop a new professional qualification for school principals, replacing the former Professional Qualification for Headship (PQH) programme. The announcement, made on 26 May 2026, marks a significant step in the Executive’s efforts
Education Minister Paul Givan has officially opened the new £56 million St Ronan’s College campus in Lurgan, marking the end of an eleven-year journey to unite three amalgamated schools on a single site. The ceremony on Thursday celebrated the completion of Northern Ireland’s largest single-school capital project, which accommodates 1,750
