Givan launches consultation on new Northern Ireland Curriculum 2028
Date published:
Education Minister Paul Givan has today launched a 16-week public consultation on a new world-leading Northern Ireland Curriculum, marking a major milestone in the TransformED programme to deliver excellence and equity across the education system.
The proposed curriculum sets out clearly what children and young people should learn and when, from Year 1 in Foundation Stage to Year 10 in Key Stage 3, ensuring every child in Northern Ireland is entitled to the same high‑quality education, no matter where they go to school.
Announcing the consultation, Paul Givan said:
“Today marks a significant step forward for education in Northern Ireland. We are publishing a curriculum that provides clarity on what should be taught and when, with learning carefully sequenced to build over time.
“Grounded in the best available evidence, it places knowledge at its heart and ensures every child, regardless of background, has access to a high-quality education.”
The current curriculum, introduced in 2007, underwent a major review in 2025. The review found it lacked clarity, coherence and sufficient specificity, which led to differences between schools, increased workload for teachers and uneven progress for pupils. The review recommended creating a clearer, more structured curriculum with shared entitlement for all pupils.
The Minister continued:
“The curriculum should be the engine of equity, creating fairness – with knowledge acting as a powerful way to give every child the same opportunities. By setting out clearly what pupils should learn, we can raise standards and help all children to succeed.”
The new curriculum has been developed through a unique and collaborative process involving over 100 individuals including teachers, academics and international experts. The work has been led by Dr Christine Counsell and supported by Lucy Crehan, drawing on international best practice to help make it world leading
Paul Givan added:
“This is not my curriculum – it is your curriculum. It has been shaped by teachers and practitioners from across Northern Ireland to ensure it is ambitious, coherent and works in real classrooms.”
Speaking at the launch, Christine Counsell said:
“When young people share common knowledge, they experience true inclusion. The world’s great conversations become theirs to enjoy, challenge and renew.”
The consultation will run from 16 June to 30 September 2026, with responses invited from teachers, parents, pupils and stakeholders.
Paul Givan concluded:
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve education in Northern Ireland. Together, we can create a world-leading curriculum that raises aspirations, strengthens outcomes and ensures every child has the knowledge and opportunities they deserve.”
The consultation can be accessed at https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-northern-ireland-curriculum-2028.
Notes to editors:
1. Picture captions:
- Picture 1: Pictured (L-R) Matthew Best, Greenisland Primary School, Christine Counsell OBE, Chair of the Curriculum Taskforce, Mark Roberts, Carrickfergus Grammar School, Education Minister, Paul Givan, Noeleen Tiffney, St Catherine's College, Karen Irwin, Ballyclare Primary School and Alistair Hamill, Lurgan College.
- Picture 2: Pictured (L-R) Christine Counsell OBE, Chair of the Curriculum Taskforce and Education Minister, Paul Givan.
2. The ‘Northern Ireland Curriculum 2028 – an entitlement to excellence and equity’ is part of the wider TransformED NI Strategy for Educational Excellence.
3. The proposed curriculum is presented across a suite of documents for consultation, as follows:
- Overview paper explains the background to reform, the need for curriculum reform and gives an overview of the structure of the new Northern Ireland Curriculum.
- Subject frameworks set out the vision for each subject and the statutory content that will secure pupils’ progression in that subject.
- The Capabilities outlines the overarching capabilities (emergent qualities and attributes) that children and young people will develop as a result of learning the new curriculum.
4. This consultation is a key opportunity for teachers, school leaders and other education stakeholders to provide feedback and help refine the proposed curriculum.
5. Following the consultation, responses will inform the final curriculum prior to phased implementation from September 2028.
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