Vocational Education (Amendment) Act, 2001

Education plans.

30.—(1) A chief executive officer shall, in the year immediately following the coming into operation of this section and—

(a) in every fifth year thereafter, or

(b) where the Minister gives a direction under subparagraph (ii), in the year immediately preceding the commencement of a period to which the direction relates,

prepare and submit to the vocational education committee for which he or she is the chief executive officer a plan setting out in respect of—

(i) the period of 5 years immediately following the preparation of the plan, or

(ii) such other period as the Minister may direct,

the objectives of that vocational education committee, the priorities to be accorded to those objectives and the measures to be adopted for the purposes of attaining those objectives (hereafter in this section referred to as an “education plan”).

(2) A chief executive officer shall, prior to preparing an education plan, consult, in such manner as the vocational education committee concerned considers appropriate, with—

(a) teachers teaching at schools or centres for education established or maintained by that vocational education committee,

(b) students attending such schools or centres for education,

(c) parents of students so attending who have not reached the age of 18 years, and

(d) such other persons as, in the opinion of the vocational education committee, are likely to—

(i) be affected by the adoption of measures for the attainment of the objectives that are likely to be included in the education plan, and

(ii) have a significant interest in the implementation of the education plan.

(3) In preparing an education plan a chief executive officer shall have regard to—

(a) such policy directions as may from time to time be given by the Minister, and

(b) the financial resources that are likely to be available to give effect to the education plan concerned.

(4) A vocational education committee may adopt an education plan or, after consultation with the chief executive officer, adopt an education plan with such modifications as it considers appropriate.

(5) As soon as may be after an education plan has been adopted (whether with or without modifications) the chief executive officer shall give a copy of the education plan to—

(a) the Minister, and

(b)   (i) the board of management of each recognised school established or maintained by the vocational education committee concerned, and

(ii) the persons who, in relation to each centre for education established or maintained by the vocational education committee concerned, perform functions the same as, or substantially the same as, those performed by boards of management in relation to recognised schools referred to in subparagraph (i).

(6) A copy of the education plan shall be kept at the principal office of the vocational education committee concerned and shall be made available at that principal office for inspection during normal office hours by members of the public, or for purchase by them at such price as may be determined by the committee.

(7) The chief executive officer shall in each year to which an education plan relates review the implementation of the education plan and prepare a report thereon which he or she shall submit to the vocational education committee and the Minister.

(8) A vocational education committee may, after considering a report submitted under subsection (7) amend the education plan concerned.

(9) Subsections (5) and (6) shall, subject to any necessary modifications, apply in respect of the amending of an education plan under subsection (8).

(10) The giving of an opinion under subsection (2)(d), the adoption (with or without modifications) of an education plan under subsection (4) and the amendment of an education plan under subsection (8) shall be reserved functions.