The Minister of State for Training and Skills, Ciarán Cannon, T.D., today launched the Annual Conference of SCoTENS (the Standing Conference on Teacher Education, North and South) at the Radisson Blu Farnham Estate Hotel, Co. Cavan.
The keynote speakers were Professor Terezinha Nunes, Professor of Educational Studies at University of Oxford, Professor Sir Bob Salisbury, formerly of the School of Education, University of Nottingham and Dr Harold Hislop, Chief Inspector at the Department of Education and Skills.
Describing SCoTENS as “a most important bridge between those involved in teacher education, north and south,” Minister Cannon noted the wide scope of the organisation’s activities: “SCoTENS has supported 71 educational projects since its inception, across a very broad range of teacher-education topics, and there have been 17 significant reports published in a short timeframe.”
The Minister welcomed the conference’s focus on literacy and numeracy, saying that “a major issue facing both of our systems, north and south, is the need to improve standards in literacy and numeracy.”
Highlighting the importance of literacy and numeracy, the Minister continued: “We must ensure that all students develop these core capabilities as well as skills and understanding in the sciences also.
“Without these skills, our young people cannot benefit from further educational opportunities nor can they take up meaningful and fulfilling work and social experiences in adult life.”
North of Ireland Education Minister John O’Dowd commented on the event: “It is vital that we do all we can to help children and young people fulfil their potential and raise educational outcomes across the board.
“Competency in the areas of literacy and numeracy is a fundamental to young people being able to continue developing and becoming valued citizens.
“I am pleased that my Department and our counterparts in the south are working together on this issue – sharing expertise for mutual benefit – and I hope this co-operation will, over time, bear fruit in terms of improved results for young people right across Ireland.”
The conference will examine international best practice, and examine progress made in existing initiatives in both the north and south, and the conference report will be considered by the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Education in the north of Ireland.
The Minister concluded by thanking the Committee members and staff of the Centre for Cross-Border Studies for their work in organising the event.