5. Mr Delargy asked the Minister of Education to outline the further opportunities to improve education outcomes for children and young people through the Shared Island Fund. (AQO 656/22-27)

The recently announced RAISE programme provides a significant opportunity to improve education outcomes for children and young people. It will adopt a whole-community approach to supporting those at risk of exclusion, marginalisation and underachievement. The investment will provide funding to some of the most disadvantaged areas in Northern Ireland to ensure that children and young people are happy, learning and succeeding. The programme will also enable the creation of strong collaborative partnerships across schools, community organisations and Departments, working across those eligible areas, supporting area-based partnership approaches over the next two years and potentially extending further, subject to evaluation.

Of course, I am happy to consider other funding opportunities as and when they arise. The Shared Island Fund investment to raise achievement and reduce educational disadvantage is, of course, very welcome and will enable a significant programme of work. I am also keen to pursue opportunities for shared working and shared learning from an east-west perspective.

Minister, thank you for your answer. We know the fantastic work that schools right across the North do, but it is clear that there is a significant gap in educational attainment between the North and the South. What do you identify as the key reasons for that gap, and how will you ensure that it is reduced?

Obviously, each jurisdiction will measure outcomes in the way that it does. I have highlighted how, even in the most recent PISA findings, Northern Ireland is performing, within the United Kingdom, at a higher level than Wales and at a similar level to Scotland. However, the trajectory for Scotland is in decline, and it is looking at how it can review its curriculum. I want to make sure that our curriculum is based on a specific approach that makes sure that Northern Ireland can proceed. It is not necessarily a case of comparing Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland. Where we can learn from each other about best practice, we should do that. Where we can learn east-west, again, we should do that.

I am keen to take best practice from wherever it exists, whether that is within the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland or, indeed, from international best practice. I recently met the Education Minister for New Zealand at the Education World Forum in London. We were able to engage and talk about what New Zealand, having seen its performance levels decline, is doing to change that and its approach. Wherever best practice exists, we should learn from it.