The Education Minister has confirmed his intention to increase the compulsory leaving age for education to 18, in line with a recommendation contained in the recent Independent Review of Education.
It’s the first response from Paul Givan to the Independent Review, which has been commissioned to look into every aspect of the education system in Northern Ireland since it was published last December.
The Education Minister also said he wanted to begin a conversation on the future of qualifications here, which he said needed to “remain comparable with the rest of the United Kingdom”.
A review of the school curriculum in Northern Ireland has also been commissioned to examine design and delivery and added there would be a new literacy and numeracy strategy for Northern Ireland.
The Independent Review of Education made 25 key recommendations, with a further 106 areas for action, including investment in early years provision, reform of the curriculum and the qualifications system.
Mr Givan told MLAs he had accepted almost all of the recommendations made, adding that too many young people in Northern Ireland affected by poverty “continue to leave education both under-skilled and under-qualified”.
“Subject to Executive agreement, I will legislate to ensure that all children remain in education or training until they are 18 years old,” the Minister told the Assembly.
“Participation in education beyond the age of 16 directly impacts upon life chances of young people.
“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 exists. 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.”
The Minister said that while his response to the review recommendations was a “commitment to our young people and our future”, it would require all parties in the Executive to work together to make it a reality.
He informed MLAs there would be further details on plans for educational transformation in the weeks ahead, including in the areas of assessment, qualifications and school improvements.
Education Minister Paul Givan.
Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
To kick-start that, he announced a review of arrangements to assess pupils’ progress throughout their time in education.
“I want to begin a wide-ranging conversation on the future of our qualification system,” he said.
“We need to ensure qualifications are accessible, fit for purpose, easily understood by pupils, parents and employers and remain comparable with 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.”
Central to any proposed changes will be finance, with the Minister reminding MLAs that the Review identified an annual gap of £155m to address the per-pupil funding gap with England and Wales and a further £136m shortfall related to higher levels of learners with a statement of educational need.
“Real-term cuts over recent years have had a lasting and detrimental impact on our young learners,” he said.
“I am determined to reverse the legacy of historic underfunding.
“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.
“Education is the cornerstone of our society. It shapes the future of all of our children, our communities and our economy.
“It is time to invest in a better future. Children and young people deserve nothing less.”
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On the launch of a review of the school, curriculum, Mr Givan continued: “Curriculum is at the centre of every classroom, every school and indeed of our entire education system. The Independent Review is very clear – we have not invested sufficiently in curriculum review, advice or resources. I am giving my assurance that this will change.
“I am pleased to announce that I have commissioned Lucy Crehan, an international expert in education policy, to carry out a focused, time-bound review that will examine curriculum design and delivery. I want every child to be taught a broad, ambitious and knowledge rich curriculum.
“Skills derive from the application of knowledge and understanding.
“By ensuring all children have access to high-quality content, we can bridge gaps in knowledge that often arise from socio-economic disparities.
“The message is clear. Without sufficient and relevant knowledge, children will not become the kind of contributors our society needs.”
SDLP MLA Cara Hunter called for greater clarify on what the Minister is proposing, saying some key areas of the recommendations in the Independent Review had barely merited a mention.
“We have a crisis around special educational needs (SEN), including education for those aged 19+, but the minister only offered warm words today and no concrete proposals,” she said.
“There was also not a single mention of integrated education, Irish medium schools or how the minister intends to address issues around relationship and sexuality education (RSE) or spiralling childcare costs.
“There was also little in the way of plans to support children living in poverty or suffering poor mental health.”
She called on the Minister to appear before Stormont’s Education Committee to provide a more detailed explanation of his proposals.
News Catch Up: Monday 21st October