The Education Reform(Northern Ireland) Order 1989

General and supplementary provisions relating to charges

137.—(1) Nothing in the provisions of this Chapter relating to charges shall be read as prohibiting or in any way restricting or regulating any request or invitation by or on behalf of the Board of Governors of any grant-aided school or any board for voluntary contributions for the benefit of the school or any school activities.

(2) Any request or invitation made by or on behalf of any such Board of Governors or board for contributions for the benefit of any school or school activities shall not be regarded for the purposes of paragraph (1) as a request or invitation for voluntary contributions unless it is clear from the terms in which it is made—

(a) that there is no obligation to make any contribution; and

(b) that registered pupils at the school will not be treated differently according to whether or not their parents have made any contribution in response to the request or invitation.

(3) Nothing in Article 128(6) shall prevent the parent of a registered pupil at a grant-aided school to which this Article applies from being required to pay for or supply any materials for use for the purposes of the production in the course of the provision of education for the pupil at the school of any article incorporating those materials, where the parent has indicated before that requirement is made that he wishes the article to be owned by him or by the pupil.

(4) Nothing in this Chapter relating to charges with respect to a registered pupil at a grant-aided school shall be read as relating to—

(a) charges made by persons other than the Board of Governors or the board; or

(b) charges to be paid by persons other than the parent of the pupil or the pupil himself.

(5) The Department may make regulations requiring, in relation to every grant-aided school to which Articles 128 to 131 apply, the board, the Board of Governors or the principal to make available either generally or to prescribed persons, in such form and manner and at such time as may be prescribed—

(a) such information relevant for the purposes of this Chapter as to the school hours at the school; and

(b) such information as to the policies determined under Article 131 which apply in relation to the school,

as may be prescribed.

(6) Any sum payable under Article 130 or 132 to 135 by the parent of any registered pupil at a grant-aided school shall be recoverable summarily as a civil debt.