To: Paul Givan MLA, Minister of Education, Northern Ireland

 

1000 VOICES

A public petition on Curriculum 2028 and TransformED

 

PAUSE     REVIEW     REDESIGN

 

The curriculum design of TransformED has been tried in England for over 12 years and shown to have failed. We believe that importing a demonstrably failed system of education into Northern Ireland Education in Curriculum 2028 is unwise and ill-thought out.

The costs already involved in TransformED and further costs for implementing Curriculum 2028 are exorbitant and unnecessary when there is a serious crisis in funding for education, especially in SEN provision.

 

We believe TransformED and Curriculum 2028 will

1.    Increase pressure and stress for children, young people, teachers and parents.

2.    Decrease educational engagement and make educational underachievement worse.

3.    Damage the NI economy through deficits in skills and an increase in economic inactivity.

We believe Northern Ireland should have an ambitious curriculum that gives every child access to powerful knowledge while also recognising that children are diverse learners and that education must develop their capacity to use knowledge creatively, critically and effectively.

We are not calling for lower standards or for educational reform to be abandoned. We are calling for a better-designed and piloted curriculum before it becomes legally binding.

 

We are proposing the Department of Education take three steps regarding TransformED and Curriculum 2028.

1.       Pause further major implementation of TransformED while its impact, evidence base, costs, risks and practical implications are properly examined.

2.       Commission a comprehensive and transparent review involving independent expertise and meaningful participation from teachers, school leaders, pupils, parents, special educational needs stakeholders and other relevant education professionals. The review should consider, among other matters:

·       the evidence supporting each major reform;

·       the likely impact on pupils and educational outcomes;

·       workload and capacity within schools;

·       equality, inclusion and special educational needs;

·       its likely impact on learning, creativity, skills and learner diversity.

·       financial costs and value for money;

·       the practical feasibility and timescale of implementation;

·       the effectiveness of consultation and stakeholder engagement;

·       appropriate measures for monitoring whether the reforms actually achieve their intended outcomes

·       examine the impact of not teaching and assessing skills against the demands of employers for skills;

·       how it will contribute to reducing the 'long tail' of economic inactivity.

Where the evidence and consultation identify problems, risks or unintended consequences, the Department should redesign the relevant elements of TransformED before implementation continues.

 

We support the principle of improving education and achieving the best possible outcomes for children and young people in Northern Ireland.

Our concern is that educational transformation must be done properly, not simply quickly.

We therefore ask Minister Paul Givan and the Department of Education to pause, listen, examine the evidence, engage meaningfully with those affected and ensure that TransformED is fit for purpose before further major implementation proceeds.

PAUSE. REVIEW. REDESIGN.

 

Please sign this petition if you support a careful, evidence-based and genuinely consultative approach to the future of TransformED.