One of the most striking characteristics of the people who have lived on the island of Ireland has been their remarkably high regard for education, even in periods of great difficulty and unpropitious circumstances. During the 1990s, the educational systems in both political jurisdictions have been undergoing renewal through efforts seeking to map out curricular and structural pathways appropriate to the emerging knowledge society, within a lifelong learning paradigm.

New relationships are being forged between the two education systems, reflected in more cross-Border communication, dialogue, exchanges of personnel, research, and liaison on curricular issues. While respecting the differences that exist, there is a realisation of the commonality of many of the problems being experienced.

In this context, note should be taken of a major new report, Education for the 21st Century recently presented to the Northern Minister for Education, Martin McGuinness. It is the report of the Review Body on Post-Primary Education and incorporates proposals for the most fundamental reorganisation of Northern Ireland's education system in more than 50 years.

The review body was established in October 2000, as an independent body, to assess the existing system and recommend future arrangements, in the wake of the Gallagher and Smith research report on the effects of the existing selective post-primary system. One of the distinguishing features of the approach taken, as was the case in the South in the 1990s, was the highly consultative nature of the review process. Thousands of people attended regional public meetings, discussions were held with about 70 key interest groups in education, visits were made to many schools and over 2,000 written submissions were received. The review body, under its chairman Gerry Burns, worked diligently and with the help of an efficient secretariat produced its 330-page report, unanimously agreed, within 12 months of its establishment.

While the focus of the report is on post-primary education, the implications for primary education, further and higher education and for employers are clearly emphasised.

As the basis for its work, the review body articulated a set of 12 guiding principles against which to evaluate the existing system and test proposals for a reformed one. All are significant, but the following were particularly influential:

each young person should be valued equally;

the education system should provide for the development of all aspects of the individual, including the intellectual, spiritual, moral, cultural, social, physical, emotional and creative;

the promotion and demonstration of a culture of tolerance, reconciliation and respect for diversity of cultures should be a seminal purpose of education.

When assessed against such principles, the existing system was found wanting. In particular, the review body found that the 11-plus "transfer tests", which form the basis of the selective system, are socially divisive, damage self-esteem, place unreasonable pressures on pupils, teachers and parents, disrupt teaching and learning at an important stage in the primary curriculum and reinforce inequality of opportunity. The tradition of separating two-thirds of young people from their peers, being perceived as less able at the age of 11, was seen as indefensible. Despite some strengths of the current arrangements, it was concluded that the present post-primary schools' structure was inflexible, fragmented, wasteful of resources and made it difficult to ensure equality of opportunity for all pupils.

The review body charts an alternative way forward based on three major recommendations:

the abolition of the 11-plus transfer tests at the earliest possible opportunity and the ending of selection on academic grounds;

the development of a "pupil profile" that would inform the learning needs of each pupil;

the creation of a "collegiate system" of schools across Northern Ireland.

It is recommended that the transfer test be replaced by a system based on informed parental preference. The new pupil profile is envisaged as being central to this. It will provide an evolving qualitative and quantitative picture of a child's achievements, aptitudes, attitudes to learning and developmental needs in an holistic way, enabling parents and teachers to better match the individual needs of the child with a school of their choice within the new collegiate system.

Perhaps the most radical and challenging recommendation seeks to replace the two-tier school system of grammar and secondary modern schools with a system that promotes all schools to be of equal rank. Specifically it is proposed to establish 20 networks of post-primary schools called "collegiates". Each collegiate will contain denominational, non-denominational and integrated schools, with provision for Irish-medium education, and they will contain former secondary modern and grammar schools. There is scope for each school to retain its ethos and autonomy, while at the same time being engaged in collaboration and co-operation to serve the needs of all pupils.

Parental preference is to be the main criterion for enrolment, followed, in the case of over-subscription, by a number of statutory and non-academic criteria. The pupil profile is not to be made available to the receiving school until enrolment is completed.

It is difficult to change long-established procedures, but the report sets out a long list of advantages and incentives for all involved stakeholders.

Education for the 21st Century has been widely circulated in Northern Ireland and a full-scale consultation process on the recommendations is now afoot, due to be completed by mid-May 2002. Following this, it is expected that new policy proposals will be put to the Northern Ireland Assembly to give legislative expression to a new education framework.

The thinking behind the pupil profile and the collegiate system has relevance for the education system in the Republic. The report can be read on www.deni.gov.uk and www.educationreviewni.gov.uk. Some copies may also be obtained from the Department of Education in Northern Ireland.

Both education systems on the island have large agendas for reform, and it is crucial that quality planning, sophisticated implementation and appropriate resourcing operate to ensure success for future generations.

Professor John Coolahan is Professor of Education at NUI Maynooth and a member of the review body.