Vol. 367 No. 5
asked the Minister for Education if, under section 1 (definitions) of his Department's Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools (Pl. 3045), community schools are secondary schools for the purposes of the rules; and if not, the rules for community schools corresponding to rules 20 and 21 of Pl. 3045.
158.
asked the Minister for Education if the Intermediate Certificate Programme in the subject civics as outlined on pages 175et seq, in Pl. 3045 is applicable to community schools.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 157 and 158 together.
The Deed of Trust for community schools provides, inter alia, that “Subject to the provisions of the Minister as to the general educational character of the school and its place in the educational system the board shall have the general direction of the conduct and curriculum of the school”. Community schools are not, therefore, regarded as secondary schools for the normal purposes of the rules and programme for secondary schools.
However, rule 31 of the rules and programme provides that a pupil who has followed an approved intermediate course of not less than three years duration as a pupil of a community school or of a comprehensive school will be eligible to be admitted to the intermediate certificate examination. The approved intermediate course includes the subject civics.
