5.—(1) The curriculum for every grant-aided school shall—
(a)include provision for religious education for all registered pupils at the school; and
(b)in so far as it relates to registered pupils at the school of compulsory school age, meet the requirements of this Article and Article 6.
(2) The curriculum for a grant-aided school shall include the following areas of study—
(a)English;
(b)Mathematics;
(c)Science and Technology;
(d)the Environment and Society;
(e)Creative and Expressive Studies;
(f)Language Studies, in relation to—
(i)schools which are Irish speaking; and
(ii)the third and fourth key stages in other schools.
(3) For the purposes of this Part the subjects which fall within each area of study listed in column 1 of Schedule 1 are—
(a)the subjects listed against that area of study in column 2 of that Schedule; and
(b)any other cognate subjects which appropriately fall to be taught within that area of study,
and the subjects falling within any area of study by virtue of sub-paragraph (a) or (b) are referred to in this Part as the contributory subjects within that area of study and the subjects falling within any area of study by virtue of sub-paragraph (a) are referred to in this Part as the listed contributory subjects within that area of study.
(4) The curriculum for every grant-aided school shall, in relation to each listed contributory subject which is taught to pupils at the school,—
(a)include such attainment targets and programmes of study as are specified in relation to that subject and those pupils under Article 7(1)(a); and
(b)require that the content of the teaching of that subject is consistent with those programmes of study and with the attainment by those pupils of those attainment targets.
(5) The curriculum for every grant-aided secondary school shall afford to all pupils in the third and fourth key stages the opportunity to be taught, within the area of study called Language Studies, one of the following listed contributory subjects, namely French, German, Italian or Spanish.
(6) For the purposes of this Part the key stages in relation to a pupil are as follows—
(a)the period beginning with his becoming of compulsory school age and ending at the same time as the fourth school year thereafter;
(b)the period beginning at the same time as the next school year after the end of the first key stage and ending at the same time as the third school year thereafter;
(c)the period beginning at the same time as the next school year after the end of the second key stage and ending at the same time as the third school year thereafter;
(d)the period beginning at the same time as the next school year after the end of the third key stage and ending at the same time as he ceases to be of compulsory school age.
(7) The Department may by order amend paragraphs (5) and (6) and Schedule 1.
(8) Nothing in paragraph (2)(f) shall be taken to preclude the inclusion of Language Studies as an area of study in the curriculum of a grant-aided school in relation to the first and second key stages.
(9) In paragraphs (2) to (6) and Article 6—
(a)references to the curriculum for a grant-aided school are references to that curriculum so far as it relates to registered pupils at the school of compulsory school age; and
(b)references to pupils at such a school are references to registered pupils at the school of compulsory school age.