10th December 2002

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As educational credit transfer systems move higher up the national UK education policy agenda, today sees the launch of the Phase 1 Northern Ireland Credit Accumulation and Transfer System (NICATS) Implementation Report.

The Report details the progress, which has been made in developing a comprehensive framework for credit accumulation and transfer, which spans both the Further Education and Higher Education sectors.

Key themes in the report include:

• The development of a unified framework containing 9 credit levels which now has widespread recognition across England, Wales and Northern Ireland;
• Agreed guidelines for the use of credit within HE in England, Wales and NI;
• A credit transcript, which can be issued to learners throughout their learning careers.

Monica Deasy, Director of NICATS, said:

“NICATS has been at the forefront of UK developments in educational credit over the last three years, and has been successful in gaining widespread agreement across England, Wales and Northern Ireland on common principles for credit framework for learners that can span learning achievement at all levels.

“We are delighted to be able to report that, following the completion of this first NICATS implementation phase, DEL intends to take forward the credit agenda through locating NICATS within the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment. (CCEA), the body tasked with the regulation and development of qualifications in NI."

The Department of Employment and Learning has now tasked the CCEA with taking forward the next stage of NICATS development, informed by the conclusions and recommendations of the report launched today.

Welcoming the report, Professor Peter Roebuck, Chairman of the NICATS Implementation Committee, said:

“The Report published today demonstrates that the NICATS scheme has achieved all the objectives set for it by the Minister three years ago. Northern Ireland is at the leading edge of developments in credit accumulation and transfer in these islands. I wish Gavin Boyd and his colleagues at the CCEA every success in carrying the initiative forward to further achievements.”

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk