Appointment of new member to the Education Authority
Date published:
Education Minister Paul Givan has announced the appointment of a new replacement member to the Board of the Education Authority (EA).
Paul Givan said: “I am pleased to appoint the Reverend Dr Colin McClure to the Board of the Education Authority. His knowledge and expertise will be highly beneficial to the Board, as we seek to continue to progress critical transformation of teaching and learning in Northern Ireland.”
The appointment is as follows:
One person nominated by the Transferors’ Representative Council to represent the interests of controlled schools.
The Reverend Dr Colin McClure is a Minister of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) and Clerk of the Presbytery of Carrickfergus. Since 1993, Reverend Dr McClure has served as Chair, Vice-Chair and member of the Board of Governors across a wide range of schools in both rural and urban settings. He has represented the Presbyterian Church on the Transferors’ Representative Council and various educational bodies, including the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment and the former Southern Education & Library Board. He has also been a Director for Christian Aid and National Chair of Girls Brigade Northern Ireland.
The Reverend Dr McClure brings to the EA Board experience and skills in governance, strategic decision making, business planning, and human resource and financial and risk management in church, education, and charity settings.
Notes to editors:
1. The Education Authority (EA) came into operation on 1 April 2015, replacing the five former Education and Library Boards (ELBs) and their Staff Commission.
2. The constitution of the EA Board is set out in the Education Act (Northern Ireland) 2014. The Board comprises a Chairperson appointed by the Minister and 20 members who are nominated by a range of interests, i.e. there are 12 members appointed after consultation with bodies representing the trustees of maintained schools, transferors of controlled schools, Irish-Medium schools, integrated schools, voluntary grammar schools and controlled grammar schools, and eight political members who are nominated by the relevant political parties.
3. The EA is a non-departmental body sponsored by the Department of Education. It 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 support for the provision of efficient and effective youth services.
4. The appointment of nominated member will commence on 21 January 2026 and end on 31 March 2029 (unless terminated before that time). The annual remuneration for members on the EA Board is £10,481 per annum plus travel and subsistence allowances. The expected time commitment for members on the EA Board is up to 5 days per month, including evening meetings and public occasions.
5. This appointment has been made in accordance with the principles and practices of the Code of Practice of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
6. The Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland requires the political activity of appointees to be published. Reverend McClure has declared that he has not undertaken any political activity during the past five years and does not hold any other public appointments.
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