The Council meets in the Education Sector in order to make decisions on common policies and approaches in areas such as special education policy and inclusion; educational disadvantage; teacher qualifications; school, youth and teaching exchanges; digital/artificial intelligence issues in schools and education; early years education; and cooperation under the Common Travel Area Education MOU.
The agreed work programme includes:
- Special Education Policy and Inclusion
- Supporting and developing the Middletown Centre for Autism
- The exchange of information and expertise on meeting educational needs
- Closer collaboration in the development of policy responses across the range of special educational needs
- The scope for collaboration in the provision of highly specialised services
- Areas where joint surveys or research would be beneficial in assessing needs
- Educational Disadvantage
- The exchange of expertise and experience in catering for children who are at risk of educational disadvantage
- The scope for collaboration in the development of initiatives to address educational disadvantage
- The scope for sharing information on research into educational disadvantage and the scope for joint research or pilot initiatives
- Links between schools and educational organisations in both jurisdictions to facilitate co-operation on operational issues
- Specific issues relevant to both Departments such as the needs of traveller children
- Teacher Qualifications
- Barriers to the movement of teachers between North and South at both primary and post-primary level, including the Irish language requirement, superannuation entitlements and approval of qualifications, and the scope for removing or ameliorating these
- The development of General Teaching Councils in both jurisdictions and co-operation between them, with a view to rationalising approaches to teacher qualifications
- Collaboration in teacher education in areas of mutual benefit such as training of teachers for Irish-medium education
- School, Youth & Teaching Exchanges
- A more integrated and coherent approach to exchanges, including the clarification of policy objectives, targets and common criteria for the assessment of exchanges
- The scope for the further development of exchanges in areas or sectors which have not previously participated
- Issues of concern in both jurisdictions such as child protection arrangements, measures focused on disadvantaged children and young people, evaluation and research, conflict resolution and cross-community activity
- Mechanisms for facilitating co-operation in the area of Youth Exchanges, including the need for linkages between the Youth Council for Northern Ireland and the Irish National Youth Council
- Digital/Artificial Intelligence issues in schools and Education
- Cooperation and sharing of knowledge and best practice on the use of and teaching of digital technologies skills in the classroom
- The scope for sharing information on research into the emerging impact that Artificial Intelligence is having on the education system
- Closer collaboration in the development of policy responses in relation to the challenges and opportunities associated with Artificial Intelligence
- Early Years Education
- Cooperation and sharing of knowledge and best practice in Early Years Education
- The scope for sharing information on research in Early Years Education, including research on models and structures and on skills and governance aspects
- Cooperation under the Common Travel Area Education MOU
- The scope for exchanges of best practice and knowledge on international education and EU developments
You can view Education Sector Joint Communiques in the Publications section.