The Education Reform(Northern Ireland) Order 1989

Educational themes

8.—(1) The curriculum for a grant-aided school shall not, in so far as it relates to pupils of compulsory school age, be taken to satisfy the requirements of Article 4(2) unless it promotes, wholly or mainly through the teaching of the contributory subjects and religious education, the attainment of the objectives of the following educational themes, namely—

(a) Information Technology;

(b) Education for Mutual Understanding;

(c) Cultural Heritage;

(d) Health Education;

(e) in relation to the third and fourth key stages, Economic Awareness;

(f) in relation to the third and fourth key stages, Careers Education.

(2) The Department may by order specify in relation to each educational theme mentioned in paragraph (1) such objectives as it considers appropriate for that educational theme.

(3) It shall be the duty of the Department so to exercise the powers conferred by paragraph (2) as—

(a) to set objectives in place as soon as is practicable in relation to each of the educational themes mentioned in paragraph (1); and

(b) to revise any existing objectives whenever it considers it necessary or expedient to do so.

(4) Paragraphs (4) and (5) of Article 7 shall apply to an order under paragraph (2) as they apply to an order under paragraph (1) of that Article.

(5) The Department may by order amend the list of educational themes in paragraph (1).