Education Minister appoints Chairperson to the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA)
Date published:
Education Minister Paul Givan has announced the appointment of Mrs Deborah O’Hare to the post of Chairperson of the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA).
Mrs O’Hare was appointed following a public appointments competition and will take up her post with effect from 1 February 2025.
Welcoming the appointment, Minister Givan said:
“I am pleased to make the appointment of Mrs Deborah O’Hare as Chairperson of the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment. Having formerly served on CCEA’s Education Committee as a co-opted member, Mrs O’Hare has an understanding of the issues facing the organisation.”
The Minister continued:
“I have set out my Ministerial priorities with a key focus on curriculum, assessment and qualifications reform. CCEA is absolutely fundamental to the successful delivery of that agenda and for that reason, I place significant weight on those with hands-on professional experience and real-world knowledge of the issues.
“Mrs O’Hare has extensive experience in the education system and will play an important role in ensuring CCEA’s procedures and actions support my Department’s wider strategic priorities in relation to curriculum, assessment and qualifications.”
CCEA is a non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department of Education, and is responsible for keeping under review all aspects of the curriculum, examinations and assessment for schools including developing, conducting and moderating qualifications and assessments, and developing resources to support the implementation of the curriculum.
The Minister concluded:
“I would like to thank the outgoing Chairperson, Tommy O’Reilly for his leadership, service and commitment since his appointment in February 2021 and wish him well in the future.”
Notes to editors:
- Mrs Deborah O’Hare is Principal of Wallace High School. She currently holds three other public appointments as a Board Member of the South-Eastern Regional College, for which she receives £250 per Governing Body Meeting and £150 per Committee Meeting; represents the Education Sector on the College Advisory Group of the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), for which she receives £237 per meeting and is also a member of the Northern Ireland Skills Council representing the community and voluntary sector and is Chairperson of its Education and Skills Sub Committee for which she receives £1,788 per annum.
- The Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) is an Executive NDPB sponsored by the Department of Education. CCEA’s role is to keep under review and provide advice on the three areas of the curriculum, examinations and assessment. The constitution of the CCEA is set out in Schedule 3 of the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 and its membership comprises a Chairperson and 13 members.
- The appointment will commence on 1 February 2025 for a four-year term (unless terminated before that time). The annual remuneration for the Chairperson post is £20,000 plus travel and subsistence allowances. The expected time commitment for the Chairperson is 1-2 days per week.
- This competition was widely advertised including in the Public Appointments section of NI Direct.
- The appointment has been made in accordance with the principles and practices of the Code of Practice of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, the Commissioner requires the political activity of appointees to be published. Mrs O’Hare has not declared any political activity in the last five years.
- Follow us on X @Education_ni
- Media enquiries to the Department of Education Press Office at Press.Office@education-ni.gov.uk