Gníomhach

Leibhéil Eile Oideachais

Aoine Feabh 13 2026

Aoine Márta 6 2026

Téarma Seasta

1

National Council for Curriculum and Assessment - Education Officer History (Primary)

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment is the statutory body which advises the Minister for Education and Youth on curriculum and assessment for early childhood education and for primary and post-primary schools. Further details about the NCCA and its work is available at www.ncca.ie.
The Council wishes to appoint an Education Officer in support of its work in the Primary School Curriculum, in the area of:

• History (Primary)

The person appointed will also be expected to be familiar with the key issues at all sectors of the education system relevant to the remit of the NCCA.
The post is for a full-time position contracted/seconded up to 31st August 2028.
Education Officers assist the executive in carrying out the brief of Council as defined in the Education Act, 1998, in relation to specific aspects of its work. Education Officers report to the Chief Executive or his/her nominee. In day-to-day operations, they report to a Deputy Chief Executive or Director, Curriculum and Assessment.
In addition to working with Education Officers on other curriculum and assessment projects, they will also work with the corporate services team and with researchers, consultants and experts as needed. They will also respond to queries and requests from across the education sector, and from the public and the media as they arise on social media and through more traditional channels. Most Education Officers also engage with national and international networks relevant to their area(s) of work.
The working week of an Education Officer can include meetings of development groups or boards, meetings with colleagues, researching and drafting papers, working on multi-media artefacts for online publication, presenting at conferences, working with groups of teachers or schools – the work is highly varied and requires flexibility and initiative as well as creativity, resilience and imagination.

Education Officer for History (Primary)
The Social and Environmental Education specification sets out learning for Social and Environmental Education (integrated History and Geography) in Stages 1 and 2 (Junior Infants to Second Class) moving to more distinct subjects of History and Geography in Stages 3 and 4 (Third to Sixth Class).

The Education Officer appointed for History (Primary) will be responsible for and involved in the following key areas of work:
• contributing to the enactment of the specification for the curriculum area Social and Environmental Education for Stages 1 and 2 (Junior Infants to Second Class) and the subject of History incorporating learning related to Religions, Beliefs and Worldviews in Stages 3 and 4 (Third to Sixth Class)
• collaborating with colleagues, experts and other professionals with expertise in History and learning related to Religion, Beliefs and Worldviews (RBW)
• engaging with relevant research and literature to inform developments
• supporting continuity between developments in early childhood education and in post-primary curricula
• collaborating with teachers, school leaders, children and parents to gather and develop quality-assured examples of children’s learning in the Social and Environmental Education area
• developing support materials to assist schools in their work
• publishing materials, and maintaining and updating content on webpages on NCCA websites
• contributing more broadly to the work of the NCCA in the area of History education
• contributing to the development of wider supports, guidance and tools for the redeveloped Primary School Curriculum
• contributing to broader areas of work, as required, related to developments at early childhood, primary, junior and senior cycle (post-primary).
As part of the recruitment process, the Council intends to establish a panel of Education Officers to support the redeveloped Primary School Curriculum. The panel will remain in place until August 2028.

Requirements
Applicants must (on the latest date for receipt of completed applications):
• hold a relevant recognised degree or equivalent professional or teaching qualification
• have experience, as leader or participant, in curriculum and/or assessment developments in the respective curriculum area in an educational setting
• have knowledge of current thinking and research in the respective curriculum area
• have comprehensive knowledge of the Irish education system, and of current curriculum and assessment issues in the primary sector
• have excellent communication and presentation skills and the ability to write to a very high standard
• have excellent inter-personal skills, and a well-developed ability to work collaboratively as part of a team
• have excellent organisational skills
• have research skills including data gathering and recording, analysing, summarising and report writing
• have good digital media skills.
Desirable
• hold a post-graduate qualification in the field or a cognate area
• proficiency to work through the medium of Irish
• access to professional networks associated with History / Social and Environmental Education
• have skills and experience working with websites and digital media
• have project management skills.

Applications must be completed on NCCA application form and submitted to eocompetitions@ncca.ie by midday Friday 6th March.