1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1997.
(2) In this Order—
(a)Parts I and II shall come into operation on the expiration of 2 months from the day on which this Order is made;
(b)Part III shall come into operation on 1st October 1997 (subject to Article 19);
(c)Articles 23 to 25 shall come into operation on 1st August 1997;
(d)Article 26 shall come into operation on the day appointed under Article l(3) of the [1996 NI 1.] Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 for the coming into operation of Article 24 of that Order.
2.—(1) The [1954 c. 33 (N.I.).] Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 shall apply to Article 1 and the following provisions of this Order as it applies to a Measure of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
(2) In this Order—
“the 1986 Order” means the [1986 NI 3.] Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986;
“the 1989 Order” means the [1989 NI 20.] Education Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 1989.
(3) This Order shall be construed as one with the 1986 Order, the 1989 Order, the [1993 NI 12.] Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1993 and the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1996; and accordingly Article 2(2) of the 1986 Order, in so far as it relates to the definition of words or expressions used in that Order and in this Order, shall apply for the purposes of this Order as it applies for the purposes of that Order.
(4) In Article 2(2) of the 1986 Order in the definition of “the Education Orders” for the words “and the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1996” there shall be substituted the words “, the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 and the Education (No. 2) (Northern Ireland) Order 1996”.