The Education (Student Support) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations, which come into operation on 20th September 2006, amend the Education (Student Support) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (S.R. 2006 No. 312) (“the principal regulations”)

In addition to minor and drafting amendments, these regulations amend the principal regulations to provide for the student support arrangements and the standard entitlement for both new and old system students undertaking a course leading to a degree in social work at an educational institution in Northern Ireland.

Regulation 5 excludes students on a flexible postgraduate course for the initial training of teachers from the exemption given to social work students.

Regulation 7 inserts a new regulation to cover special arrangements for the standard entitlement for “new-system” social work students, regardless of their previous study. Regulations 6 and 8 make consequential changes in this regard.

Regulation 9 amends the principal regulations to ensure that “old-system” students who have an honours degree, moving end-on to take a social work course in Northern Ireland are not excluded from student support and that the previous study is ignored in determining their standard entitlement. Regulations 10 and 11 provide the same exemptions for gap-year students.

The Guildhall School of Music and Drama has ceased to be a private institution and has become a publicly-funded institution on 1st August 2006, having been designated under section 129 of the Education Reform Act 1988 as an institution eligible to receive support from funds administered by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. The rate of grant for fees for students classified as “old system students” depends on whether they are taking their course at a publicly-funded or private institution, and which private institution they are attending. Regulations 12 and 13 amend the principal Regulations to account for this designation.

Regulation 14 excludes “old-system” social work students from access to the private fee contribution loan, given that this is funded by the Social Services Inspectorate.

Regulation 15 provides that higher education bursaries are available only to students who qualify for a grant for fees and are under the age of 60.