The term ‘social justice’ is used in the NCCA’s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan and in a number of curriculum specifications developed during that period. These include the updated [Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework] (2024) (www.curriculumonline.ie/early-childhood/aistear-2024/); the [Social and Environmental Education specification] (2025) (www.curriculumonline.ie/primary/curriculum-areas/updated-social-and-environmental-education/); and the [Wellbeing specification] (2025) (www.curriculumonline.ie/primary/curriculum-areas/updated-wellbeing/|). Social justice is defined in these as: …fair and equitable distribution of resources, opportunities and privileges within a society, ensuring that all individuals have equal access to basic needs and opportunities.
The understanding of the term ‘social justice’ as used across the Council’s curriculum and assessment work emerges through an iterative process drawing on:
• commissioned research and literature reviews
• international educational frameworks and rights-based approaches
• stakeholder consultation and deliberation
• existing Irish curriculum policy and guidance.
The Council’s curriculum and assessment development work positions education as contributing to a democratic, equitable and just society and emphasises children and young people’s rights, participation, inclusion and sense of belonging. Concepts associated with social justice are reflected in overarching frameworks and advice developed to guide the detailed work on specifications. This includes:
• the vision and purpose of the curriculum
• principles such as those of Inclusive education and diversity, Engagement and participation, and Relationships (Primary Curriculum Framework); and Inclusive education and diversity, and Participation and citizenship (Senior Cycle specifications).
• key competencies such as Being an active citizen (Primary Curriculum Framework) which includes acting with regard for human rights, equity, social justice and sustainable development; and Participating in society (Senior Cycle Key Competencies) which includes acting ethically, informed by individual and collective rights and responsibilities, and showing solidarity where there is inequity and injustice.
In the case of social justice, these provide the conceptual anchor for specifications developed for curriculum areas, subjects, modules and programmes. Each curriculum specification is developed in response to a Brief which is approved by the NCCA Council.
NCCA’s curriculum and assessment advice is evidence-informed. The Council uses a wide range of research to inform its work. In the case of the concept of ‘social justice’, this research includes but is not limited to:
• a [systematic literature review] (www.ncca.ie/media/6229/ncca_a-systematic-literature-review-to-support-the-curriculum-specification-development-for-the-area-of-wellbeing.pdf) undertaken by researchers in Mary Immaculate College and used to inform the conceptual framing of the Primary Curriculum Wellbeing specification.
• a [systematic literature review] (www.ncca.ie/media/6401/literature-review-for-social-and-environmental-education.pdf) of research and scholarship in Geography, History and Education about Religions and Beliefs in the context of the redeveloped Primary School Curriculum carried out by researchers in Dublin City University and Trinity College Dublin to support the development of a specification for Social and Environmental Education.
• a [literature review] (www.ncca.ie/media/5915/literature-review-to-support-the-updating-of-aistear-the-early-childhood-curriculum-framework-jan-2023.pdf) carried out by researchers in Dublin City University to support the updating of Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework.
• research on the technical form used when designing curriculum specifications for senior cycle.
• a literature review conducted by researchers in Dublin City University. This review synthesised international scholarship across intercultural and multicultural education, anti-racism education, human rights education, global citizenship education and education for sustainable development. The references cited above do not represent a single theoretical tradition; rather, they provide a broad evidence base commonly used in contemporary curriculum design.
NCCA’s curriculum and assessment development work also draws on widely used international educational frameworks that have shaped how concepts such as equity, participation and justice are understood in contemporary curriculum policy.
Across the United Nations and UNESCO rights-based approaches, the OECD work on equity and global competence, and the Council of Europe frameworks on democratic culture and human rights education, there is a consistent framing of education as contributing to inclusive and equitable societies, supporting children and young people to understand rights and responsibilities, participate meaningfully in civic and community life, and engage with diversity and global challenges. Within these traditions, social justice is not typically defined as a standalone curricular topic; rather, it is articulated through related constructs such as human rights, democratic participation, inclusion, equity of access to education and respect for diversity. This wider international policy context contributes to the framing used in Irish curriculum development.
The NCCA publishes all draft curriculum specifications for public consultation and uses a variety of methods to gather feedback. The feedback is analysed and reported on, and used by Development Groups, Boards and the Council to finalise the specifications.
This approach to curriculum and assessment development means that all specifications ultimately approved by the Minister for Education and Youth have been published for national public consultation. Drafts are available for public scrutiny and feedback is gathered through surveys, written submissions, focus groups, bilateral meetings, school/setting visits, and national consultative events. Consultation reports present the range and focus of the feedback received.
In the case of ‘social justice’, feedback can refer to related concepts and values in draft specifications, including inclusion, diversity, anti-discrimination, fairness, dignity and respect, empathy, compassion, participation, human rights, child/student agency and active citizenship. Feedback received informs the refinement and finalisation of specifications.
The Council’s current work also reflects continuity with earlier curriculum policy. This includes the Intercultural Education Guidelines (www.curriculumonline.ie/getmedia/236745b0-a222-4b2a-80b1-42db0a3c7e4c/Intercultural-Education-in-Primary-School_Guidelines.pdf0) —Primary Schools (2005) and [Intercultural Education Guidelines—Post-primary Schools (www.ncca.ie/media/1976/intercultural_education_in_the_post-primary_school.pdf)] (2006), which positioned education as a key mechanism for promoting equality, human rights, inclusion and respect for diversity within school communities.
It also builds on the longstanding orientation of the [Primary School Curriculum (www.curriculumonline.ie/primary/1999-primary-school-curriculum/)] (1999), which frames education as supporting the child’s development as a social being and emphasises equality and fairness of access, respect for diversity and pluralism, partnership in education, and the child’s capacity to contribute to society and participate in civic life. Likewise in post-primary education, current work builds on the reform of educational provision for the [Junior Cycle stage of education (2012-2019)] (www.curriculumonline.ie/junior-cycle/curriculum/) and the significant curriculum development work on the [senior cycle stage of education] (www.curriculumonline.ie/junior-cycle/curriculum/) in the 1990s.
Taken together, these foundations established the use of social justice–related concepts within Irish curriculum discourse and provided an important basis for subsequent curriculum redevelopment, including the framing of wellbeing, inclusion and active citizenship in more recent specifications.
The list below includes further links to material referenced above.
• United Nations / UNESCO: A human rights-based approach to education for all: a framework for the realization of children’s right to education and rights within education UNICEF & UNESCO (2007.)
• Education 2030: Incheon Declaration and Framework for Action for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 4 UNESCO (2016).
• UNESCO – Human rights and education (policy overview and resources)
• OECD Global Competence Framework (PISA 2018): Knowledge, skills, attitudes and values for an interconnected world.
• Council of Europe: Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC): Volume 1 – Context, concepts and model; Volume 2 – Descriptors; Volume 3 – Guidance for implementation. Council of Europe (2018)
Other sources
Kelly, A.V. (2009). The curriculum: theory and practice. SAGE Publications Ltd.
Luke, A., Woods, A. and Weir, K. (2013). Curriculum syllabus design and equity : a primer and model. New York: Routledge
McGuinness, C. (2018). Research-Informed Analysis of 21st Century Competencies in a Redeveloped Primary Curriculum. NCCA.
McGuinness, C. (2023). Student Competencies in a Redeveloped Senior Cycle. NCCA.
Petrina, S. (2004). The Politics of Curriculum and Instructional Design/Theory/Form: Critical Problems, Projects, Units, and Modules. Interchange, 35(1), pp.81–126. doi:https://doi.org/10.1023/b:inch.0000039022.53130.d5.
Ring, E., O’Sullivan, L., Ryan, M., and Burke, P. (2018). A Melange or a Mosaic of Theories? How Theoretical Perspectives on Children’s Learning and Development Can Inform a Responsive Pedagogy in a Redeveloped Primary School Curriculum. NCCA.
Sinnema, C. and Aitkin, G. (2013). Emerging International Trends in Curriculum. In: M. Priestley and G. Biesta, eds., Reinventing the Curriculum: New Trends in Curriculum Policy and Practice. London and New York: Bloomsbury, pp.141–163.
Taba, H. (1962). Curriculum development: theory and practice. London: Harcourt Brace.
