Explanatory note

These Regulations, made under Article 15(b) of the Education Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, provide that primary schools which teach through the medium of Irish are excepted from the requirement to teach English to pupils in the first, second and third years of the first key stage. In every grant-aided school, English remains a compulsory contributory subject in relation to pupils in the fourth year of the first key stage, and in the whole of the second key stage.