Functions of the new Department of Education
Date published:
The new Department of Education (DE) comes into effect today.
The department assumes the roles and responsibilities of the former Department of Education and also takes on new responsibilities in relation to children and young people, including childcare, from OFMDFM. Additionally, from today, the new Department of Education and the Education Authority take on responsibility from the Department of Justice and the Youth Justice Agency for oversight of the education provision for young people in custody in the Woodlands Juvenile Justice Centre.
The changes are all part of the ‘Fresh Start’ agreement (http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/a-fresh-start-stormont-agreement.pdf) which involves restructuring the Northern Ireland government departments and reducing them in number from 12 to nine.
An overview of the departmental changes, including their functions, is available at nidirect (https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/changes-government-departments)
News releases from April 2007 are available to view on the Public Records Northern Ireland (PRONI) website. (http://webarchive.proni.gov.uk/20150928013613/http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/index/media-centre/news-departments.htm)