Debate contribution: Independent Review of Education

Debate contribution by Mr Paul Givan on 21 October 2024.

MLA

Mr Paul Givan

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

21 October 2024

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Ministerial Statement

Heading

Independent Review of Education

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4603476

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Today, I wish to set out my Department's response to the independent review of education in Northern Ireland. Education is the cornerstone of our society. It shapes the future of our children and, in turn, our communities, our economy and our society. Like all systems, it requires regular reflection, evaluation and improvement. The independent review was commissioned by the Northern Ireland Executive to do precisely that. I express my immense gratitude to and admiration of each member of the review panel: Keir Bloomer, Sir Gerry Loughran, Isabel Nisbet, Marie Lindsay and Robin McLoughlin. I commend their tremendous effort and dedication in carrying out that comprehensive review of our education system. It is, as one school principal described it, the most important education report in Northern Ireland in decades. Two years of engagement, consultation and consideration of a wide range of international perspectives has produced a thorough and evidence-based report that will act as a platform for the transformation of our education system. The panel's commitment to that task speaks volumes about their passion for education and their belief in its transformative power. The review required the careful consideration of diverse perspectives, a deep understanding of the many challenges in our education system and, most importantly, the ability to produce a vision for the future. The panel has set out a vision for the transformation of education over the next 20 years. I endorse and commend that vision for educational excellence. It is a vision for a well-designed, efficient and adequately funded system of education that continues to provide choice, is inclusive, encourages collaboration ahead of competition and will offer greater opportunities for young people from different communities to learn together. The independent review outlines that Northern Ireland should be proud of its track record of high achievement and can build on many areas of strong practice in promoting excellence and reducing failure. We have a highly trained and highly motivated education workforce that is the envy of many nations across the world. However, much more could be done to support those vulnerable to disadvantage. Too many young people impacted by poverty continue to leave education underskilled and underqualified. Equally, the current system is not working for many children with special educational needs (SEN). Expenditure continues to grow, but planning is poor, with a focus on process rather than children. The panel was also particularly concerned that a prolonged period of action short of strike has resulted in a lack of performance data and an erosion of effective systems of school accountability. We need comprehensive measures of pupil and system performance to give better assurance to learners, parents and the taxpayer that money is being spent effectively and that the system is achieving its objectives. The review report centres on 25 key recommendations underpinned by a further 106 areas for action. The watchword of the review is "reform". The key recommendations focus on reform and greater investment in early years provision; major reform of the curriculum, accompanied by greater ongoing investment; reform of statutory assessment to measure learners' progress throughout their educational journey; reform of the qualification system to meet the needs of learners and employers; reform of area planning to create an efficient network of schools where more learners are educated together; reform of service delivery for learners and schools, including a new approach to school improvement and the reorganisation of the Education Authority (EA); reform of SEN services, so that learners with additional needs receive tailored support at the earliest possible opportunity; and reform of the age of education participation, so that all children remain in education or training until they are 18 years of age. The panel stresses that all those reforms must be underpinned by significant investment in the workforce and a sustainable model of funding for our education system. Together, the panel's recommendations form an important blueprint for the next two decades of educational improvement and reform. Today, I have published my Department's response to the report's recommendations. A copy has been provided to Members and laid in the Assembly Library. It is intended as a summary document setting out the direction of travel. You will note that I have accepted almost all the recommendations falling within my remit, though, in some areas, the approach to implementation may vary. The review clearly recognises that the report provides a longer-term framework for progressive reform and will require a plan for phased implementation. I am therefore drawing on the report today to set out my immediate priorities for the current mandate. My priority is a sustained, evidence-based approach to the improvement of the education system that is focused on the core areas of curriculum, assessment, qualifications, school improvement and tackling educational disadvantage. Reform in each of those areas will be underpinned by investment in high-quality initial teacher education, teacher professional learning and leadership development, all wrapped, as the panel has recommended, in an intelligent accountability framework. The curriculum is at the centre of every classroom, every school and, indeed, our entire education system. The independent review is clear: we have not invested sufficiently in curriculum review, advice or resources. That needs to change. High-quality curriculum design and content must be reinforced by strong implementation, enabled through high-quality teacher professional learning and excellent resources. I have therefore commissioned Lucy Crehan to carry out a focused, time-bound curriculum review that will examine curriculum design and delivery in Northern Ireland. I want to ensure that every child is taught a broad, ambitious and knowledge-rich curriculum. As the panel's report highlights:

"Skills derive from the application of knowledge and understanding."

The panel is clear that:

"Without sufficient and relevant knowledge, children will not become the kind of contributors society needs."

All pupils, regardless of where they were born or how much money their parents have, deserve an education in the best that has been thought and said. Knowledge is transformational. A knowledge-rich curriculum has been demonstrated to reduce inequality in education by empowering children to acquire invaluable information, which inspires and motivates them beyond their own life experiences and develops their learning in a well-sequenced and explicit manner. By ensuring that all children have access to high-quality content, we can bridge the gaps in knowledge that often arise from socio-economic disparities. Such an approach will also provide our teachers with a clear progression framework and high-quality resources.

Curriculum review will be accompanied by a new literacy and numeracy strategy for Northern Ireland. There is a substantial body of evidence that demonstrates that systematic synthetic phonics is the most effective way of teaching children to read. We must ensure that our teachers are supported and guided on best practice throughout their careers. Curriculum and assessment are two sides of the same coin. The independent panel described in detail how action short of strike had impacted on our education system, leaving us without effective measures of system, school and pupil performance. In line with the panel's recommendation, we will put in place arrangements to ensure that assessment takes place throughout a learner's time in school. My officials have therefore commenced an immediate review of assessment arrangements. I also wish to begin a wide-ranging conversation on the future of our qualifications system. We need to ensure that qualifications are accessible; are fit for purpose; can be easily understood by pupils, parents and employers; and remain comparable with those in the rest of the United Kingdom. I will refine and improve accountability measures to remove perverse incentives for schools to enter pupils into low-value qualifications and instead reward schools for providing all pupils with a stretching curriculum. Underpinning all the reforms is the need to support the education workforce effectively. Investment in teachers is at the heart of the panel's vision for education. No education system can be better than the quality of its teachers. The independent review is clear:

"For an education system to be excellent, it must prioritise investment in its [teachers] – enabling and promoting a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration."

We have not invested in professional development in a sustained and systematic fashion. In line with the panel's recommendation, I will invest in increased resources to support an effective and coherent approach to professional development. Teachers are demanding practical research that is relevant to their teaching practice, and we need to provide it. I want to support our teaching profession to be plugged into learning and thinking about pedagogy. Over coming weeks, I will publish a clear and cohesive strategy for education that sets out in detail my plans for education transformation. I will also appoint a ministerial advisory panel made up of key individuals with national and international expertise to support the transformation of our education system. I am therefore delighted to announce today that, in line with the panel's recommendation and subject to Executive agreement, I will legislate to ensure that all children remain in education or training until they are 18 years old. Over 100 years ago, in 1918, the Education Act not only raised the compulsory school leaving age to 14 but included provision that all young people should participate in some form of education until they were 18. It is unacceptable that, in 2024, that is not the case. Participation in education beyond the age of 16 directly impacts on young people's life chances. Regrettably, a young person's background remains a key factor in whether they progress to post-16 education. Compulsory education or training ending at 16 is a remnant of a manufacturing society with many unskilled jobs that no longer exist. Jobs today require high levels of skill and education. By mandating education or training until 18, we can create a minimum offer for all young people, particularly our most vulnerable, and ensure that they have equity of opportunity and a structured pathway of support and guidance. That is a commitment to our young people and our future, and I ask all parties to work with me to make it a reality. Before I conclude, I wish to reflect on the message at the very core of the review report: the need to adequately invest in education for the good of everyone in society. The report is clear that education has been and remains underfunded. The panel describes a financial crisis caused by:

"significant real-terms cuts over the past 13 years ... [which] are having a lasting and detrimental impact on learners."

The review has identified an annual gap of £155 million to address the per-pupil funding gap with England and Wales and a further £136 million shortfall to address the higher levels of support now required for learners with a statement of educational need. The report is clear that the legacy of historic underfunding needs to be reversed. I give you my commitment that increased investment will be accompanied by service reform, particularly in the areas of school improvement and special educational needs.

I say, therefore, to Members of all parties: let us commit ourselves to making education a top priority. It is the key to economic growth, social mobility, political stability and global competitiveness. What can be more important than the future of our children and society? Investment in the education sector is crucial to building a prosperous and sustainable future. It is the foundation of all economic, social and political development. It is how we educate citizens and create social cohesion. By prioritising education funding, as an Executive and an Assembly, we are not just investing in the present but securing the future for generations to come. As the panel indicated, the more we invest, the quicker we can move forward. An old Chinese proverb states: "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now." Be under no illusion. Investment in education requires urgency. We do not want to look back in 2044 and wish that we had acted differently. The time for action is now. I reiterate my gratitude to everyone who contributed to the independent review. Their insights and perspectives have been invaluable in shaping the future of education in Northern Ireland. To the panel I say that their findings and recommendations will serve as a crucial guide as we move forward, ensuring that our education system is truly world-leading, excellent, equitable, inclusive and able to meet the needs of all children and young people in an ever-changing world. I approach the task of reform with a sense of ambition and energy. I have set out, as a first phase of reform, a vision for educational excellence based on a renewal of curriculum, assessment, qualifications and school improvement with a relentless focus on tackling disadvantage. These elements, together, form the cornerstone of our education system. To keep pace with the best education systems in the world, we must refresh, adapt and renew, otherwise we risk stagnation and decline. To borrow from the review report:

"Education is the greatest investment any society makes in its own future. Responsible citizenship, prosperity and fulfilled lives depend on it."

I look forward, during the remainder of the mandate, to working with all representatives, parties and stakeholders to transform and improve education delivery in Northern Ireland.

2,189 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:23 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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