05/08/2013

£1.5m To Improve Literacy And Numeracy

Northern Ireland's young people are improving their literacy and numeracy as a result of £1.5m funding from the Department of Education.

The Strategic Development Fund (SDF) was established by the Education Minister, John O’Dowd, last year and will run until 2015.

It is currently providing funding to Area Learning Communities (ALCs); an initiative that enables schools within the same area to plan collectively to deliver education to young people.

There are 30 ALCs in Northern Ireland, involving 250 schools.

Speaking about the investment, Minister O’Dowd said: "One of my main aims as Education Minister is to raise educational standards and provide every young person with a much broader and more balanced curriculum from the age of 14. Recent statistics show that we have been successful in starting to achieve this with standards continually rising, however more needs to be done.

"That is why I decided to make additional resources available to ALCs to help improve the literacy and numeracy levels of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds who are at risk of underachievement in either English and/or maths at GCSE level.

"This is one of a number of packages aimed at supporting educational improvements and enables schools to share best practice, expertise and resources to better meet the needs of pupils. Supporting the work of ALCs in this way will assist in the drive to raise standards."

(IT/CD)

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

05 March 2009
Education Minister Drums Up Support For Integration
With over 18,000 children and young people being educated in integrated schools across Northern Ireland already, the sector has an important role to play.
21 January 2013
'Too Much Spent On Small Schools' - Panel
A review into the funding of schools in Northern Ireland has found that too much is being spent on keeping smaller schools open, while disadvantaged pupils are being neglected. Education Minister John O'Dowd has welcomed the review.
31 March 2015
New Education Authority To Replace NI's Five Education And Library Boards
The new Education Authority will replace Northern Ireland's five education and library boards on Wednesday 1 April. The new Authority replaces the existing five Education and Library Boards and their Staff Commission. The new organisation will have a £1.
22 February 2024
FMDFM Opened Limavady's New £11m Shared Education Campus
NI's First and Deputy First Minister's have officially open a new £11 million shared education campus in Limavady. Education Minister Paul Givan accompanied the Ministers to view the newly completed campus bringing together St Mary's and Limavady High School sites with a range of new shared facilities.
13 September 2012
Cancer-Fighting Primary School Programme Gets Education Minister's Backing
We all know that sunburn, smoking and obesity are risk factors for cancer. So now, parents will be glad to hear that a leading cancer charity has launched an education package to encourage healthy lifestyles in children as young as three and four.