2.—(1) In these Regulations—
“the 1977 Order” means the Rates (Northern Ireland) Order 1977;
“the 1995 Order” means the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995(1);
“academic year” means the period of twelve months beginning on 1st January, 1st April, 1st July or 1st September of the calendar year in which the academic year of the course in question begins according to whether that academic year begins on or after 1st January and before 1st April, on or after 1st April and before 1st July, on or after 1st July and before 1st August or on or after 1st August and on or before 31st December, respectively;
“approved course of training” shall be construed in accordance with regulation 8;
“course for the initial training of teachers” includes such a course leading to a first degree unless otherwise indicated but excludes an employment-based teacher training scheme;
“designated course” shall be construed in accordance with regulation 7;
“institution” in relation to a designated course means an educational institution and in relation to an approved course of training means a training institution approved by the Department of Employment and Learning for the purposes of these Regulations;
“periods of work experience” means—
periods of industrial, professional or commercial experience associated with full-time study at an institution but at a place outside that institution; or
periods during which a person is employed and residing in a country whose language is one that he is studying for his course (provided that the period of residence in that country is a requirement of his course and the study of one or more modern languages accounts for not less than one half of the total time spent studying on the course);
“postgraduate course” means a course for entry to which a first degree (or equivalent qualification) or higher is normally required;
“publicly funded” means maintained or assisted by recurrent grants out of public funds and related expressions are to be interpreted accordingly;
“quarter” in relation to an academic year means the first three months, and any subsequent period of three months, of that year;
“rate relief” means rate relief under Article 30B of the 1977 Order as read with these Regulations;
“relevant institution of higher education in the Republic of Ireland” means an institution listed in Schedule 2.
(2) In relation to a designated course or an approved course of training provided by an institution which does not have academic years, any reference to such a year shall (except for the purposes of paragraph (3)), be treated as a reference to a calendar year beginning on the day on which the course begins.
(3) In relation to any designated course or approved course of training which begins part way through an academic year of the institution providing it, the course shall be treated as beginning on the first day of that academic year.
(4) A person shall, for the purposes of these Regulations, be treated as undertaking a designated course or a course of approved training from the date the course begins or is treated under these Regulations as beginning.
(5) A course is provided by an institution if it provides the teaching or training and supervision which comprise the course, whether or not the institution has entered into an agreement with the student or trainee to provide the course.