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 a framework criticised for lacking clarity with a knowledge-rich, carefully sequenced programme designed to ensure every pupil enjoys the same educational entitlement regardless of which school they attend.
The consultation, which runs until 30 September 2026, invites teachers, parents, pupils and stakeholders to scrutinise draft subject frameworks covering Foundation Stage to Key Stage 3. If approved, the new curriculum would be phased in from September 2028 as a central pillar of the Department’s TransformED NI strategy for educational excellence.
Why the 2007 Curriculum is Being Replaced
The current curriculum has been in place since 2007, but a strategic review conducted in 2025 by international education consultant Lucy Crehan identified significant weaknesses. The review found the existing framework lacked clarity, coherence and sufficient specificity, which led to inconsistent delivery between schools, increased workload for teachers and uneven progress for pupils.
The Department’s response to that review committed to creating a clearer, more structured curriculum with shared entitlement for all pupils. The new proposals aim to address these failings by setting out explicitly what children should learn and when, with content designed to build cumulatively over time.
Proposed Curriculum Structure
The consultation documents set out a vision for a “knowledge-rich” education system grounded in evidence and international best practice. The suite of documents available for review includes:
- An Overview paper explaining the rationale and structure of the reform
- Subject frameworks detailing the statutory content for each subject and how learning progresses across stages
- A Capabilities document outlining the qualities and attributes children will develop through the curriculum
The framework covers Foundation Stage (Year 1) through to Key Stage 3 (Year 10). Work on the redesign has been led by Dr Christine Counsell OBE, Chair of the Curriculum Taskforce, and supported by Lucy Crehan, drawing on expertise from over 100 teachers, academics and international specialists.
Equity Through Knowledge: Minister’s Pledge
Speaking at the launch, Paul Givan emphasised the reform’s potential to reduce educational inequality. He said:
“Today marks a significant step forward for education in Northern Ireland. We are publishing a curriculum that provides clarity on what should be taught and when, with learning carefully sequenced to build over time. Grounded in the best available evidence, it places knowledge at its heart and ensures every child, regardless of background, has access to a high-quality education.”
The Minister framed the curriculum as a tool for social justice, stating:
“The curriculum should be the engine of equity, creating fairness – with knowledge acting as a powerful way to give every child the same opportunities. By setting out clearly what pupils should learn, we can raise standards and help all children to succeed.”
He stressed the collaborative nature of the development process:
“This is not my curriculum – it is your curriculum. It has been shaped by teachers and practitioners from across Northern Ireland to ensure it is ambitious, coherent and works in real classrooms.”
Dr Christine Counsell offered a philosophical perspective on the knowledge-rich approach:
“When young people share common knowledge, they experience true inclusion. The world’s great conversations become theirs to enjoy, challenge and renew.”
Critical Considerations and Unanswered Questions
While the consultation represents a decisive shift in educational policy, several significant details remain unclear. The press materials emphasise curriculum content but offer limited specifics on how assessment systems will align with the new knowledge-rich approach. The consultation documents mention capabilities and subject knowledge, but the relationship between these frameworks and formal qualifications or testing regimes has yet to be fully articulated.
The timeline also presents practical challenges. With the consultation closing in September 2026 and implementation scheduled for September 2028, schools will have just two years to adapt to what the Minister describes as a “once-in-a-generation” change. This raises questions about teacher professional development capacity, particularly given the scale of the proposed shift from the flexible 2007 model to the more specified 2028 framework.
Additionally, while the review identified workload issues under the current system, it remains to be seen whether greater prescription will reduce planning burdens or simply replace one form of complexity with another.
Questions for Stakeholders
As the consultation progresses, several questions merit consideration:
- How will the Department ensure sufficient time and resources for teacher professional development before the September 2028 implementation deadline?
- Will new assessment systems align with the knowledge-rich curriculum, or risk creating conflicting pressures for schools?
- How will the structured progression model accommodate pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) who may require different pacing or approaches?
- What safeguards exist to prevent the “shared entitlement” from becoming excessive prescription that limits teacher autonomy to respond to local contexts?
- How will the Department measure whether the reform actually reduces inequality between schools, rather than simply standardising content?
Implementation Timeline
The consultation closes at 23:59 on 30 September 2026. Following the consultation period, responses will inform the final curriculum design before legislative approval and phased implementation beginning in September 2028.
Paul Givan concluded his announcement with a rallying call to stakeholders:
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve education in Northern Ireland. Together, we can create a world-leading curriculum that raises aspirations, strengthens outcomes and ensures every child has the knowledge and opportunities they deserve.”
Teachers, school leaders, parents and pupils can submit responses via the Department’s consultation portal. The success of this reform will ultimately depend not just on the content of the frameworks, but on whether the implementation plan provides the support structures necessary to realise the ambition of equity through knowledge.