Book now for the Assembly's Education Programme 2021-22
The Assembly's free Education Programme is available to all schools. See below for details of the 2021-22 programme and get in touch as soon as possible to book a session for your pupils. An Assembly election takes place this academic year, so this is a good opportunity for your pupils to learn about what that means for Northern Ireland, and for them.
School visits to Parliament Buildings and outreach visits to schools
Due to current social distancing guidelines in public areas in Parliament Buildings, the Education Service room is restricted to a total of 8 people. Therefore, while we can still arrange visits to the Building, only a very limited number of visitors can be accommodated. We look forward to welcoming larger groups as soon as guidelines are eased.
Unfortunately, we are not taking bookings for outreach sessions this term, but hope to get back out on the road soon.
Virtual visits
In place of face-to-face visits, you can book a virtual session with an education officer by email at education.service@niassembly.gov.uk. Sessions are available for pupils from all key stages. They last up to 45 minutes and are delivered via MS Teams. Content is tailored to suit pupils and they will learn about:
- how laws are made;
- the role of an MLA;
- Assembly elections (next one scheduled for May 2022); and
- how young people can get involved;
We also offer themed sessions on debates, law-making or elections, and special sessions for school councils and Eco-Schools.
You can also request a Q & A session with MLAs, subject to their availability.
Online resources
Our website is packed with information to support the curriculum and includes video lessons on How the Assembly Works, quizzes, short animations on a range of topics, including the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and How to Get Involved, and – for post-primary pupils - recently recorded talks on issues such as equality and human rights and interviews with the chairs of the Health Committee and the Education Committee.
Feedback welcome
We would love to hear the views of teachers and pupils on current resources and programmes, as well as suggestions for improving the service. Please email education.Service@niassembly.gov.uk
To keep up to date on the visits programme, new resources and opportunities for pupils to give their views to the Assembly, please follow us on Twitter @NIAEducation, or subscribe to our mailing list.