Education

The aspects of EDUCATION initially agreed for consideration by the NSMC are education for children with special needs, educational under-achievement, teacher qualifications and school, youth and teacher exchanges. The Joint Communiqués following the Council meetings are listed below.

To date, the Council in this Sector has:

(a) approved updated arrangements for taking forward the Programme of Work of the Sector;

(b) agreed a range of cross-border related actions to be supported in response to the new PEACE II Operational Programme on education and youth services sectors;

(c) agreed to organise a joint conference in the area of Language Learning and to repeat the "Doors" project, a successful joint venture which involved live performance by young people, North and South;

(d) approved a study by the Centre for Cross-Border Studies in Armagh on youth and teacher exchanges;

(e) established under the programme of activity ahead in this Sector, Joint Working Groups of Officials from the two Departments of Education, to bring forward concrete proposals for action on the following four areas:

Special Education Needs Provision
Educational Underachievement (three groups, covering Pupil Attendance/ Retention; Literacy/Numeracy; Child Protection)
Teacher Qualifications
School, Youth and Teacher Exchanges

Encouragement and support is also planned in the form of conferences, study groups and study visits aimed at sharing expertise and building more effective networks of education professionals, North and South.

Joint Communiqués

Contact Details

Department of Education
Rathgael House
Balloo Road
BANGOR
BT19 7PR

Telephone: (028) 9127 9279
Fax: (028) 9127 9100
E-Mail: deni@nics.gov.uk
Website: www.deni.gov.uk

Department of Education and Science
Marlborough Street
Dublin 1

Telephone: (01) 873 4700
Fax: (01) 878 7932
E-Mail: webmaster@educ.irlgov.ie
Website: www.irlgov.ie/educ