Department of Education (Northern Ireland)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Northern Ireland |
 This article is part of the series: |
|
|
| In Northern Ireland |
|---|
|
MLA First Minister and deputy First Minister |
| In the United Kingdom |
|
Committees: Affairs - Grand |
| In the European Union |
| Related political parties |
|
Designated Unionist Designated Nationalist |
| Related bodies |
|
North/South Ministerial Council |
| See also |
|
St Andrews Agreement (2006) Segregation in Northern Ireland |
|
Other countries · Atlas Politics Portal |
The Department of Education (DE) (Irish: An Roinn Oideachais, Ulster Scots: Männystrie o Lear) is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister for Education. The incumbent Minister is Caitríona Ruane (Sinn Féin).[1]
Contents |
[edit] About
"The Department of Education is responsible for the central administration of all aspects of education and related services in Northern Ireland - excepting the higher and further education sector, responsibility for which is within the remit of the Department for Employment and Learning." [2]
DE is responsible for policy and some central administration, while much administration is devolved to five regional Education and Library Boards, funded by DE:
- Belfast Education and Library Board
- North Eastern Education and Library Board
- South Eastern Education and Library Board
- Southern Education and Library Board
- Western Education and Library Board
[edit] Responsibilities
The Departments main areas of responsibility are in pre-school, primary, post-primary and special education; the youth service; the promotion of community relations within and between schools; and teacher education and salaries. Its primary statutory duty is to promote the education of the people of Northern Ireland and to ensure the effective implementation of education policy. Its key functions include:
- advising ministers on the determination of education policy
- framing legislation
- accounting for the effectiveness of the education system
- allocating, monitoring and accounting for resources
- through the Education and Training Inspectorate, evaluating and reporting on the quality of teaching and learning and teacher education
The Department also aims to ensure that children, through participation at schools, reach the highest possible standards of educational achievement. In pre-school settings, schools and through the Youth Service the Department also promotes personal well-being and social development, so that children gain the knowledge, skills and experience to reach their full potential as valued individuals.
[edit] History
Following a referendum on the Belfast Agreement on 23 May 1998 and the granting of Royal Assent to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 on November 19, 1998; a Northern Ireland Assembly and Northern Ireland Executive were established by the Labour government of Prime Minister Tony Blair. The process was known as devolution and was set up to give Northern Ireland devolved legislative powers. DE is one of 11 devolved Northern Ireland Departments created in December 1999 by the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and The Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999.
[edit] Ministers for Education
| Minister | Party | Took office | Left office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin McGuinness | Sinn Féin | 29 November 1999 | 14 October 2002 | |
| Caitríona Ruane | Sinn Féin | 8 May 2007 |
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/index/your-government/devolved-government.htm Northern Ireland Executive
- ^ http://www.deni.gov.uk/index/85-about-the-dept.htm DE
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
|
|||||||||||||||||||
 |
This article related to government in the United Kingdom or its constituent countries is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 |
This Northern Ireland related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
