To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) how the independence, particularly religious independence, of the members of the Education Review Panel will be assured; (ii) whether members from non-religious, humanist or non-Christian backgrounds will be included; and (iii) what steps he is taking to ensure the panel is made up of people from a diverse range of backgrounds.

Panel members will be appointed on merit and will be expected to operate with objectivity and integrity. The work of the panel and its final report will be based on evidence, informed by stakeholder engagement and analysis of relevant information and best practice.

Appointments will be based on merit following an open recruitment process. The appointed Panel will be expected to engage with a wide range of stakeholders during its delivery of the Review.

The five person panel will be appointed via an open recruitment process to ensure a wide range of candidates. The recruitment opportunity has been published on the DE website, advertised in local newspapers and published on Government websites for public appointments in Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. To encourage applications from under-represented groups, organisations from the Department’s section 75 list that are connected to under-represented groups have been specifically notified of the opportunity. DE is committed to equality of opportunity and welcomes applications from all backgrounds regardless of religious belief, gender, disability, ethnic origin, political opinion, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or whether or not they have dependents.