Department of Education

The Department of Education is a devolved department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The Department’s main statutory areas of responsibility are 0-4 provision, primary, post-primary, special education, the youth service, community relations within and between schools and teacher education and salaries. Until 2016 the former Department for Employment and Learning was responsible for further and higher education. These functions are now the responsibility of the Department for the Economy.

Agencies and Other Associated Bodies

Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta

Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta is the representative body for Irish-medium education. It was set up in 2000 by the Department of Education to promote, facilitate and encourage Irish-medium education.

Controlled Schools' Support Council

The Council works in partnership with the Education Authority, the Department of Education, other sectoral bodies and, of course schools. The Council supports controlled schools, which are open to all faiths and none, in providing high quality education for children and young people to enable them to learn, develop and grow together, within the ethos of non-denominationalChristian values and principles.

Council for Catholic Maintained Schools

The Council for Catholic Maintained Schools is the advocate for the Catholic Maintained Schools sector in Northern Ireland. It is a Department of Education sponsored public body.

Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment

The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment is a Department of Education sponsored public body, bringing together the three areas of curriculum, examinations and assessment.

Education and Training Inspectorate

The Education and Training Inspectorate is a unitary inspectorate providing independent inspection and policy advice to the Department of Education.

Education Authority

The Education Authority (EA) became operational on 01 April 2015. It is a non-departmental body sponsored by the Department of Education. EA is responsible for ensuring that efficient and effective primary and secondary education services are available to meet the needs of children and young people and also provides support for the provision of efficient and effective youth services.

Exceptional Circumstances Body

The Exceptional Circumstances Body (ECB) is a Tribunal Non-Departmental Public Body established and funded by the Department of Education. The tribunal examines applications from parents/guardians where it is asserted that due to exceptional circumstances, a child must attend a specified post-primary school having been unable to gain admission through the normal competitive process. Members of the tribunal are appointed by the Department of Education but work independently of it.

General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland

The General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland is the statutory, independent body for the teaching profession and is dedicated to enhancing the status of teaching and promoting the highest standards of professional conduct and practice.

Integrated Education Fund

Core funded by the Department of Education the Integrated Education Fund was set up in 1992 as an independent body to be a financial foundation for the furtherance of integrated education in Northern Ireland.

Iontaobhas na Gaelscolaíochta

Iontaobhas na Gaelscolaíochta (the Trust Fund for Irish-Medium Education), was established in February 2001 as a consequence of the Good Friday Agreement to help support the development of the Trust Fund for Irish-Medium Education.

Middletown Centre for Autism (Northern Ireland)

The decision to establish the Centre was formally recognised at the North-South Ministerial Council meeting on 11 April 2002, when it noted and endorsed the agreement which had been reached between the Department of Education and the Department of Education and Science to establish, on a North-South basis, an all-island Centre of Excellence for Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders in Middletown, Co. Armagh.

Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education

Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education is a non-departmental public body.

Youth Council for Northern Ireland

Youth Council for Northern Ireland was established under the Youth Service (NI) Order 1989 and has responsibility for the policy and development of the Youth Service.

Publications in this Department

Other Publications (Department of Education)

Consultation papers, briefing documents, inquiries, reports and reviews (non-serial).