Ruane attends Education Sector NSMC in Dublin

Education Minister, Caitríona Ruane, has said progress is being made on initiatives to tackle underachievement and teach literacy and numeracy in schools North and South.

The Minister was speaking after a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council in Education Sector format held in Dublin. The meeting was chaired by Minister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe TD and attended by Minister for Employment and Learning Sir Reg Empey MLA.

Minister Ruane said: "The NSMC has identified the tackling of educational underachievement as a key priority and I welcome that progress has been made in a number of areas. The sharing of best practice in teaching literacy and numeracy will benefit children in disadvantaged areas and plans are underway for a joint conference on numeracy in February 2010.

"Encouraging children to read can give them benefits to enjoy for the rest of their lives. My Department has already provided support to several all-Ireland festivals to get children reading and the NSMC has now agreed to support an all-island Children’s Book Week to be held next year."

Ministers were also updated on the progress of services at the Middletown Centre for Autism, work on the development of inspection services north and south as well as work to examine co-operation on teacher education.

Notes to editors:

1. The Good Friday Agreement provided for the NSMC to identify and agree at least six matters for co-operation through existing bodies North and South. The agreed aspects of North/South co-operation in Education as mandated by the Inaugural Plenary of the NSMC in Armagh in 1999 are:

• education for children with special needs;
• educational under-achievement;
• teacher qualifications; and
• school, youth and teacher exchanges.

2. Media queries to the Department of Education Press Office on 028 9127 9755. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Office via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.