Interesting Times Ahead for Northern Ireland’s Schools: An Analysis of the Curriculum – Change is Coming

Educational consultant Lucy Crehan, who led the six-month review, asserts that a new curriculum framework is urgently required – one that is clear, coherent, and knowledge-rich. This review was commissioned by Education Minister Paul Givan under the TransformED NI reform agenda; a review that sets out a renewed vision and initiative for the future of teaching and learning in Northern Ireland.

While in recent years the 2007 curriculum was once praised for its flexibility and emphasis on skills development, this review has found that the current curriculum’s flexibility has led to inconsistencies between schools and limited progress for many pupils. A lack of clarity around what should be taught, and when, has meant that some children are missing out on vital knowledge. In addition, the disproportionate decision-making (of the curriculum) has too often fallen to teachers, leading to variation and confusion.

This reform is not about removing everything. The review recommends retaining key strengths of the current system, such as its broad learning areas and emphasis on skills. However, combining these with a more structured and detailed framework is on the horizon.

At the centre of the proposed new curriculum are five key principles. They are as follows:

Purpose-led: A curriculum with a clear aim in preparing pupils for life, work, and society

Knowledge-rich: Fostering deep and connected understanding across subjects.

Continuous and coherent: Enabling learning to build logically over time.

Specific and focused: Clarity to both teachers and pupils.

Inclusive and flexible: To meet the diverse needs of pupils and school communities.

To implement this vision, the report proposes the creation of something called a ‘Curriculum Taskforce’. This is a team of experienced teachers, curriculum designers, and education experts who will co-design the new framework. In addition, high-quality resources and professional development will be made available to ensure teachers are well-equipped to deal with the transition.

Minister Givan has welcomed the review’s findings, calling curriculum reform “essential” for tackling educational disadvantage and ensuring that every child in Northern Ireland has the opportunity to thrive. The report also calls for alignment between curriculum changes and other key areas of education policy, in particular assessment, qualifications, and school accountability systems.

Nonetheless, significant challenges remain. Schools are already dealing with strained budgets, increased workloads, and staffing shortages in critical subjects like Mathematics, Science, and Technology. In my opinion, reform, if it is to succeed, must be well-resourced, carefully managed, and supported at every level.

In saying that, this change is both imperative and overdue. For the first time in nearly two decades, Northern Ireland is taking a new look and a fresh viewpoint at what our children should learn - and rightly so.

As Lucy Crehan concludes: “The process of reform will be enabled by the skill and commitment of our education community, and the obvious shared desire to improve outcomes for all children and young people.”

From a personal perspective, I believe this is long overdue. At present, the curriculum is very much following a ‘top-down’ rather than ‘bottom-up’ approach. What do I mean by this? Let me explain…

A top-down approach begins with broad, complex ideas or instructions, expecting pupils to grasp and apply them before understanding the basics. In contrast, a bottom-up approach builds understanding from the ground up. It starts with students’ existing knowledge, experiences, and skills, allowing them to explore and construct their learning step by step. For example, we wouldn’t ask a child to read or write before understanding sounds and phonics; therefore, we should not expect children to grasp complex and abstract ideas without first teaching the foundations. This issue is particularly evident at Key Stage 3. As someone who has taught the KS3 curriculum, particularly in Science, I’ve seen how the current statutory curriculum is so vague and lacks clarity. It leads to incredible inconsistency across educational settings, and it must change.

That said, teacher autonomy can still happen, and in many ways flourish – especially through how we teach. Teachers should retain freedom in their teaching styles and strategies. However, when it comes to the curriculum itself, it must be clear, structured, and robust.

To conclude, one thing is certain: interesting times lie ahead. Change is coming — and it is long overdue.