Education Minister Paul Givan has hailed the early success of TransformED, a strategy launched in March 2025 to transform Northern Ireland's education system.

The Minister said the strategy is not about "tinkering at the edges" but is a "blueprint for excellence" designed to learn from the world's best-performing education systems. In the first six months, the Department has launched several initiatives, including a £31 million Teacher Professional Learning Fund. This fund gives schools per-teacher funding for training. Additionally, a new online CPD Academy has launched, with 145 out of 190 post-primary schools already signed up. The 'Making Best Practice Common Practice' programme has also been introduced to bridge the gap between academic research and classroom teaching.

Curriculum and assessment reform are central to the agenda. An independent Strategic Review of the curriculum, led by international expert Lucy Crehan, was published in June. A new Curriculum Taskforce has been formed, chaired by educator Christine Counsell OBE, and a review of assessment is being led by a panel chaired by Tim Oates CBE.

Next week, the Minister will launch a public consultation on GCSE and A Level reform, with a focus on reducing exam overload. In the coming months, the Department will also introduce new strategies for literacy, numeracy, and school improvement, alongside legislation to raise the education participation age to 18.