Following initial consultation the Education Minister gave approval for development work to be undertaken in Education for Democracy and Citizenship. The Social, Civic and Political Education Project is a joint venture between the University of Ulster, CCEA and the Citizenship Foundation. These are recognised by the curriculum programme as problematic concepts for investigation rather than values to be taught didactically. The three year course has two modules per year. The recommended time allocation is 30 hours per year there is an increasing action component in each year leading to an assessed action component in Year 10.
Schools are free to develop their own modules within an agreed framework and subject to approval.
It provides a platform of teacher and student skills that will be built on in Years 9 and 10. The Year 8 Programme consists of two modules. This module introduces the concept of pluralism through an examination of diversity in the classroom, in Northern Ireland then in broader contexts. Our World A diversity mapping exercise to help pupils explore their perceptions of the world around them. It may involve a survey of diversity in the classroom, the school and the local community.