Education Minister Paul Givan has launched a public consultation on a comprehensive new strategy designed to overhaul the support and development of teachers throughout their careers.

The draft document, titled "Leading Together for Excellence: A TransformED NI Strategy for Teacher Professional Learning," outlines a vision to establish a world-class professional learning system in Northern Ireland. The strategy focuses on building an expert and confident teaching workforce through high-quality, continuous learning aimed at improving outcomes for all students.

Education Minister Paul Givan said: "Great teaching is central to realising my vision of educational excellence in Northern Ireland. No education system can exceed the quality of its teachers and no vision for transformation can be realised without investing deeply in those who make learning happen every single day.

"Professional learning is the engine that drives improvement, innovation and excellence in every high-quality education system. This draft strategy seeks to align Northern Ireland with the world's highest performing education systems and place teacher development at the heart of system improvement. We are aiming to ensure that meaningful, high-impact learning is available to all teachers."

The proposed strategy includes a range of initiatives, such as:

• A new digital learning platform for educators.

• Updated professional standards for the teaching profession. • Enhanced support for student teachers and newly qualified teachers.

• Improved development programmes for school leaders.

A central pillar of the proposal is the creation of a Northern Ireland Centre for Educational Excellence and Improvement within the Department of Education. This dedicated centre would consolidate curriculum design, professional learning, and leadership development into a single entity to ensure a coordinated approach to school support.

The Education Minister concluded: "High performing education systems do not leave professional learning to chance. Sustained improvement depends not only on strong policy decisions but also on the delivery infrastructure that translates into consistent, high-quality practice across schools.

"This strategy aims to provide Northern Ireland with the foundations of a truly world-class professional learning system and I encourage every teacher to engage with the consultation on this strategy and share your views on its detail. Your insights will help shape a system that supports every teacher and every learner."

The draft strategy is open for an eight-week public consultation from 11 May to 6 July 2026. Visit the consultation page at www.education-ni.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-leading-together-excellence-transformed-ni-strategy-teacher-professional-learning