General Teaching Council Northern Ireland

Education Governor of the Year Award

DE

Education Minister, Caitríona Ruane, has presented the Department of Education Governor of the Year Award at the Regional Teaching Awards Ceremony 2010 in the Waterfront Hall, Belfast.

Mrs Gillian McFarlane, Vice-Chair of the Board of Governors, Dungannon Primary School, received the award from the Minister.

The teaching awards were established in 1998 and are managed by an independent charity, the Teaching Awards Trust, with the aim of celebrating excellence and promoting best practice in education. The first regional awards were made to local teachers in 2000.

Speaking after the ceremony the Minister said: "This ceremony provides a wonderful opportunity to pay tribute to our schools, to the many excellent teachers, governors, classroom assistants and other members of the school team for their valued contributions to education over many years.

"I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to all the winners. Your dedication and hard work is an inspiration to your colleagues. You are all aware of the challenges that we face here in the North. However, with people like you I know that we can face the future challenges with confidence and I know that with your help we can make a difference.

"Our education system, how it serves our children and prepares them for life, is a fundamental issue upon which every society must focus. We cannot become complacent. We still have far too much underachievement in our system.

"The flaws and inequalities that academic selection created in our society have been identified. The abolition of academic selection is at the heart of the significant programme of change I have put in place to address underachievement in our system, equality, quality and the highest standards for all.

"The 11 Plus is gone and is not coming back. The new transfer procedures are in place and they will remain in place.

"It is our job as educationalists to identify the talents that exist in every single one of our children - to develop, value and nurture those unique talents on the basis of equality.”

The Minister concluded: "I would like to offer my thanks to everyone involved in the Teaching Awards Trust and in particular the judges and all those who have worked so hard to make this event so special and successful.

"I would also like to acknowledge the support provided to all of our schools by the five Education and Library Boards, the Regional Training Unit, the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools, Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta, the Council for Integrated Education (NICIE), the Higher Education Institutions and the many other bodies within our wider education service."