Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1998

Suspension of financial delegation for mismanagement, etc.

55.—(1) Where it appears to the board, in the case of any school in respect of which financial delegation is required for the current financial year under a scheme, that the Board of Governors of the school—

(a) has been guilty of a substantial or persistent failure to comply with any requirements or conditions applicable under the scheme; or

(b) is not managing the appropriation or expenditure of the sum put at its disposal for the purposes of the school in a satisfactory manner, the board may suspend the Board of Governors' right to a delegated budget by giving the Board of Governors (subject to paragraph (4)) not less than one month’s notice of suspension.

(2) Any notice under paragraph (1) shall specify the grounds for the proposed suspension, giving particulars of any alleged failure on the part of the Board of Governors to comply with any requirements or conditions applicable under the scheme and of any alleged mismanagement on its part.

(3) A copy of the notice shall be given to—

(a) the principal of the school;

(b) the Department; and

(c) where the school is a Catholic maintained school, the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools, at the same time as the notice is given to the Board of Governors.

(4) A board may suspend the right mentioned in paragraph (1) of any Board of Governors to which it has given notice under that paragraph before the expiry of the period of notice if it appears to the board to be necessary to do so by reason of gross incompetence or mismanagement on the part of the Board of Governors or other emergency.

(5) A board may withdraw a notice given under paragraph (1) at any time before the expiry of the period of notice.

(6) If the board exercises its power under paragraph (4) or (5), it shall immediately give written notification of its action and, in the case of action under paragraph (4), of the reasons for it to—

(a) the Board of Governors and principal of the school;

(b) the Department; and

(c) where the school is a Catholic maintained school, the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools.

(7) During any period when a Board of Governors' right to a delegated budget is suspended under this Article, the duty of the board under Article 54(2) shall not apply in relation to that Board of Governors.