§ Mr DonaldsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with counterparts in Edinburgh, Cardiff and London regarding the development of a pan-UK credit strategy, particularly with respect to a credit transcript system. [100433]
§ Jane KennedyThe introduction of a unit based curriculum with credit attached remains a major aim of the Department for Employment and Learning's (DEL) lifelong learning strategy. Officials are working with the relevant Departments in England, Scotland and ales to try to secure complementarity across the UK.
In 1999 DEL commissioned a three year, Northern Ireland Credit Accumulation and Transfer System (NICATS) implementation project, to develop the specifications for a single credit framework which could be used to support the operation of a credit accumulation and transfer system in NI including a template for a standardised NICATS credit transcript to provide a summary of each learner's achievement.
DEL has tasked the NI Council for the curriculum, examination and assessment (CCEA), as the regulatory authority for Northern Ireland, to provide advice on the next phase of NICATS taking account of funding implications, added value and work of credit systems in the rest of the UK.