GUYANA BILL No. of 2014 EDUCATION BILL 2014 ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS SECTION PART I PRELIMINARY 1. Short title and commencement. 2. Interpretation. PART II ADMINISTRATION OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM 3. Main objectives. 4. De-centralised education system of management. 5. Responsibilities of the Minister. 6. Powers. 7. Annual Report. 8. Chief Education Officer. 9. Delegation of authority. 10. Establishment of National Advisory Committee on Education. 11. Functions of the Advisory Committee. 12. Public hearings. 13. Minister not bound by advice of Advisory Committee. 14. Special committees. PART III RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF STUDENTS AND PARENTS A – Students’ Rights and Responsibilities 15. Right to education. 16. Compulsory education. 17. Free tuition at schools. 18. Students’ responsibilities. 19. Accountability of students. 20. Return of property. 21. Exercise of rights. B – Parents’ Rights and Responsibilities 22. Choice of education. 23. Rights and responsibilities of parents or guardians. 24. Student records and reports. 25. Parent Teacher Association. 26. School committee. 27. Suggestions and wishes of parents to be considered. C - Admission and Attendance of Students 28. No discrimination. 29. Age limit for pre-primary, primary schools. 30. Requirements for admission. 31. Age limit for secondary schools. 32. Student Register. 33. Transfer of students. 34. Effect of disease. 35. Readmission of student on production of medical certificate. 36. Temporary or permanent closing of schools, etc. 37. Sessions and periods of instruction in schools. 38. Academic School year. D - Compulsory School Attendance 39. Duty of parents to ensure attendance of children. 40. School welfare officers. 41. Duties of school welfare officer. 42. Power to take absent student to principal or parent. 43. Power to enter premises and question children. 44. Offences against school welfare officers. 45. Reports by principals. 46. Liability of parents. 47. Offences in relation to school age. 48. Legal proceedings. E - Maintenance of Order and Discipline in Schools 49. Right of school to maintain order and discipline. 50. Discipline in private schools. PART IV CATEGORIES OF SCHOOLS AND THE STAGES OF EDUCATION A - The Forms and Stages of Education 51. Stages of public education. B - Public Schools 52. Establishment of public pre-primary schools and primary schools. 53. Establishment of public secondary school. 54. Boards of governors for public secondary schools. 55. Functions of boards of governors for public secondary schools. 56. Procedure of boards of governors. 57. Board of governors for more than one school. 58. Submission of reports, statements and estimates. 59. Written directions to board of governors. 60. Financial resources of public schools. 61. Accounts and audit. 62. General requirements of public schools. 63. Minutes of board of governors receivable in evidence. 64. Student Councils. C - Private Educational Institutions and Private Schools 65. School board. 66. Application of Act to certain categories of private educational institutions and private schools. 67. Requirement of a permit. 68. Private educational institutions and private schools register. 69. Application for permit. 70. Issue of permit 71. Refusal of a permit. 72. Conditions of a permit. 73. Maximum number of students. 74. Contents of permit. 75. Vocational education permits. 76. Duration and renewal of permits. 77. Modification and transfer of permit. 78. Insurance. 79. Information to be provided. 80. Visits to private educational institutions and private schools. 81. Notice to comply. 82. Revocation of permit and cancellation of registration. 83. Review against refusal and cancellation. 84. Fresh application for a permit. 85. Reports and returns of statistics. 86. Health care and sanitation. 87. Disqualification of teachers. PART V MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS 88. Establishment of public educational institutions. 89. Subsidiary legislation. 90. Technical and vocational education and training. 91. Teachers’ colleges. 92. Saving for President’s College and Industrial Schools. PART VI OTHER TYPES OF EDUCATION A - Special Education 93. Special education programmes. 94. Determination of special educational needs. 95. Special needs appeals. 96. Council on special education. B - Distance Learning and Continuing Education 97. Distance learning. 98. Continuing and adult education. PART VII EMPLOYMENT OF TEACHERS 99. Employment of teachers. 100. Qualifications of teachers. 101. Requirements for employment as a teacher. 102. Appointment of teachers to public schools, etc. PART VIII CURRICULUM ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS 103. National curriculum. 104. Core and foundation subjects. 105. Assessment stages. 106. Determination of attainment targets. 107. Subject panels. PART IX INSPECTION AND REVIEW OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM A - Inspection of Schools 108. Inspections of schools. 109. Schools to be opened for inspections and visit. 110. Offences. B - Review of the Education System 111. Monitoring, evaluation, reporting and development. 112. Purpose of monitoring, evaluation, reporting and development. PART X MISCELLANEOUS 113. Search of students. Powers of person carrying out search. 114. 115. Obstruction of search. 116. Damage to school property. 117. Counselling and rehabilitation. 118. Vendors on school premises. 119. Prohibition of sale of alcoholic beverages or tobacco. 120. Use of premises of educational institution. 121. Offences on premises of educational institution. 123. Prosecutions. 123. Regulations. 124. Power to amend the Schedules. 125. Removal of difficulties. 126. Repeals and savings. 127. Transitional provisions. SCHEDULE 1 NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION. SCHEDULE II PROCEDURE OF BOARDS OF GOVERNORS. SCHEDULE III MANUAL OF GUIDELINES FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF ORDER AND DISCIPLINE IN SCHOOLS. A BILL Intituled AN ACT to repeal the Education Act, to reform the legal framework of education in Guyana and provide an effective system of education related to the needs of the people. A.D.2014 Enacted by the Parliament of Guyana:- Short title and 1. This Act may be cited as the Education Act 2014 and shall come into commencement. force on the date the Minister may, by order, appoint. Interpretation. 2. (1) In this Act – (a) “academic year” means a period not exceeding twelve months as may be prescribed; (b) “adult education” means education or training on a part-time basis for persons over compulsory school age designed to advance knowledge, skills, attitudes and cultural awareness but does not include tertiary education; (c) “Advisory Committee” means the National Advisory Committee