Dr Michael Johnston: A welcome amendment

If asked to nominate the main objective of public schooling, most people would probably say that it is to teach young people the knowledge they need to thrive in adult life. However, according to the Education and Training Act, that is just one of four equally important objectives.

The Education and Training Act 2020 is massive. It legislates parameters for nearly every imaginable aspect of publicly funded education, from early childhood to university. One of its 669 Sections describes the objectives of school boards.