(1)For the purpose of enabling pupils who might otherwise not be able to do so to benefit from education at independent schools, the Secretary of State shall establish and operate a scheme whereby—
(a)participating schools remit fees that would otherwise be chargeable in respect of pupils selected for assisted places under the scheme ; and
(b)the Secretary of State reimburses the schools for the fees that are remitted.
(2)In this section references to a participating school are references to any independent school providing secondary education with which the Secretary of State makes an agreement (a "participation agreement") for the purposes of the scheme; and in determining whether to make a participation agreement with any school the Secretary of State shall have regard to the desirability of securing an equitable distribution of assisted places throughout England and Wales and between boys and girls.
(3)The fees in relation to which the scheme is to have effect shall be—
(a)tuition and other fees the payment of which is a condition of attendance at a participating school but excluding boarding fees and such other fees, if any, as may be excluded by the participation agreement; and
(b)entrance fees for public examinations paid by a participating school in respect of candidates from the school.
(4)A participation agreement shall contain provisions with respect to the number of assisted places to be available at the school and may contain conditions to be complied with by the school in addition to those prescribed under subsection (6) below.
(5)Schedule 4 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the termination of participation agreements.
(6)The Secretary of State shall by regulations prescribe—
(a)the requirements as to age, residence or otherwise which are to be the conditions of eligibility for selection for an assisted place;
(b)the conditions subject to which, the extent to which, and the arrangements in accordance with which, fees are to be remitted by participating schools;
(c)the time and manner in which participating schools are to claim and receive reimbursements from the Secretary of State;
(d)conditions to be complied with by participating schools with respect to the selection of pupils for assisted places, the admission of pupils, the fees to be charged, the keeping and auditing of accounts and the furnishing of information to the Secretary of State; and
(e)such other matters as appear to him to be requisite for the purposes of the scheme.
(7)Regulations under subsection (6) above may authorise the Secretary of State to make provision for any purpose specified in the regulations.
(8)Before making regulations under subsection (6) above the Secretary of State shall consult such bodies as appear to him to be appropriate and to be representative of participating schools or, in the case of regulations made within twelve months of the coming into force of this section, of schools eligible to participate in the scheme.
(9)Regulations made under subsection (6)(b) above shall be reviewed by the Secretary of State in consultation with such bodies as appear to him to be appropriate and to be representative of participating schools—
(a)not later than two years after the date on which the first such regulations are made ; and
(b)thereafter at intervals not exceeding two years.
(10)Except where the context otherwise requires, references in this section and section 18 below to a school include references to the proprietors of the school and persons acting with their authority ; and references in this section to an independent school are references to an independent school that is finally registered and conducted for charitable purposes only.
(1)The Secretary of State may make regulations requiring or enabling schools participating in the scheme referred to in section 17 above to make grants in respect of such expenses, and to remit such charges, as may be specified in the regulations, being expenses or charges in respect of matters incidental to or arising out of the attendance at the schools of pupils holding .assisted places under the scheme.
(2)Any such regulations shall require any amounts granted or remitted by a school in accordance with the regulations to be reimbursed to the school by the Secretary of State.
(3)Regulations under this section may in particular prescribe—
(a)the conditions subject to which, the extent to which, and the arrangements in accordance with which, grants and remissions are to be made:
(b)the time and manner in which schools are to claim and receive reimbursements from the Secretary of State.
(4)Regulations under this section may authorise the Secretary of State to make provision for any purpose specified in the regulations.
For sections 1 to 4 of the [1962 c. 12.] Education Act 1962 and Schedule 1 to that Act (awards for further and higher education) there shall be substituted the provisions set out in Schedule 5 to this Act which—
(a)extend the courses capable of designation under section 1 to include certain courses provided in conjunction with overseas institutions;
(b)incorporate the effect of amendments made by the [1973 c. 16.] Education Act 1973, the [1975 c. 2.] Education Act 1975 and the [1976 c. 81.] Education Act 1976 ; and
(c)omit provisions that are spent or no longer required.
(1)The Secretary of State may award industrial scholarships or make payments to any other person in respect of the award of such scholarships by that person.
(2)In this section " industrial scholarships " means scholarships (however described) tenable by persons undertaking full-time courses of higher education provided by a university, college or other institution in the United Kingdom, being courses which appear to the Secretary of State or, as the case may be, the person awarding the scholarships to be relevant to a career in industry.
(3)In subsection (2) above the reference to a full-time course includes a reference to a course consisting of alternate periods of—
(a)full-time study in the university, college or institution in question; and
(b)associated industrial, professional or commercial experience;
and the reference in that subsection to a course provided by a university, college or institution in the United Kingdom includes a reference to a course provided by such a university, college or institution in conjunction with a university, college or other institution in another country.
(1)The Secretary of State shall by regulations make provision for the payment by him to local education authorities and other persons of grants in respect of expenditure incurred or to be incurred in, or in connection with, the teaching of the Welsh language or the teaching in that language of other subjects.
(2)Any regulations made by the Secretary of State under this section may make provision whereby the making of payments by him in pursuance of the regulations is dependent on the fulfilment of such conditions as may be determined by or in accordance with the regulations, and may also make provision for requiring local education authorities and other persons to whom payments have been made in pursuance of the regulations to comply with such requirements as may be so determined.