Secondary schools in Northern Ireland: governance, policy and curriculum.

This unit provides an overview of education in the context of Northern Ireland (NI) and addresses key issues that make schooling in NI different from elsewhere in the United Kingdom (UK). The unit begins by focusing on the distinctive nature of education in NI, followed by a detailed description of the structure and governance of education, where key legislation and policies are discussed. This
unit also addresses the structure of the Revised Northern Ireland Curriculum (RNIC) and highlights advancements in terms of curriculum interpretation and implementation since its introduction in 2007. The unit then focuses on the teaching profession in NI where the structure of initial teacher education (ITE) is addressed as well as Induction and Early Professional Development (EPD).
Finally, the unit deals with the future of education in NI, which at the time of writing faces many uncertainties, particularly in relation to the structure of ITE and the continuing debate over the academic selection of pupils at the age of 11 years. Throughout this unit there are set tasks which are designed to encourage you to reflect and critique your progress during ITE and beyond. The completion of these tasks will allow you to maximise the learning to be gained from engaging with this unit