Article 32 of the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 requires the Board of Governors of each grant-aided nursery school and each grant-aided primary school with a nursery class to draw up the criteria to be applied in selecting children for admission to nursery education at the school. It also enables the Department of Education to make Regulations requiring the criteria to include, or not to include, such matters or matters of such description as are specified in the Regulations.

These Regulations specify matters to be included, and matters not to be included, in the criteria for the admission of children to grant-aided nursery schools and grant-aided primary schools with a nursery class commencing with the school year ending on 31st July 2000.

Regulation 4 specifies matters which the criteria shall include.

Regulation 5 specifies matters which the criteria shall not include.