Education Minister has announced the appointment of
Mrs Deborah O'Hare to the post of Chairperson of the Council for
the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA).
Mrs O'Hare was appointed following a public appointments
competition and will take up her post with effect from 1 February
2025.
Welcoming the appointment, Minister Givan said: “I
am pleased to make the appointment of Mrs Deborah O'Hare as
Chairperson of the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and
Assessment. Having formerly served on CCEA's Education Committee
as a co-opted member, Mrs O'Hare has an
understanding of the issues facing the
organisation.”
The Minister continued: “I have set out my Ministerial
priorities with a key focus on curriculum, assessment and
qualifications reform. CCEA is absolutely fundamental to the
successful delivery of that agenda and for that reason, I place
significant weight on those with hands-on professional experience
and real-world knowledge of the issues.
“Mrs O'Hare has extensive experience in the education
system and will play an important role in ensuring CCEA's
procedures and actions support my Department's wider strategic
priorities in relation to curriculum, assessment and
qualifications.”
CCEA is a non-departmental public body, sponsored by the
Department of Education, and is responsible for keeping under
review all aspects of the curriculum, examinations and assessment
for schools including developing, conducting and moderating
qualifications and assessments, and developing resources to
support the implementation of the curriculum.
The Minister concluded: “I would like to thank the
outgoing Chairperson, Tommy O'Reilly for his leadership, service
and commitment since his appointment in February 2021 and wish
him well in the future.”
Notes to editors:
- Mrs Deborah O'Hare is Principal of Wallace High School. She
currently holds three other public appointments as a Board Member
of the South-Eastern Regional College, for which she receives
£250 per Governing Body Meeting and £150 per Committee Meeting;
represents the Education Sector on the College Advisory Group of
the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE),
for which she receives £237 per meeting and is also a member of
the Northern Ireland Skills Council representing the community
and voluntary sector and is Chairperson of its Education and
Skills Sub Committee for which she receives £1,788 per annum.
- The Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations
and Assessment (CCEA) is an Executive NDPB sponsored by the
Department of Education. CCEA's role is to keep under review and
provide advice on the three areas of the curriculum, examinations
and assessment. The constitution of the CCEA is set out in
Schedule 3 of the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 and its
membership comprises a Chairperson and 13 members.
- The appointment will commence on 1 February 2025 for a
four-year term (unless terminated before that time). The annual
remuneration for the Chairperson post is £20,000 plus travel and
subsistence allowances. The expected time commitment for the
Chairperson is 1-2 days per week.
- This competition was widely advertised including in the
Public Appointments
section of NI Direct.
- The appointment has been made in accordance with the
principles and practices of the Code of Practice of the
Commissioner for Public Appointments. Appointments are made
on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection
process. However, the Commissioner requires the political
activity of appointees to be published. Mrs O'Hare has not
declared any political activity in the last five years.
