{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/education-act-1981-repealed-1111996/section-20",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/education-act-1981-repealed-1111996/section-20.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1981/60",
  "legislation_title": "Education Act 1981 (repealed 1.11.1996)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/education-act-1981-repealed-1111996",
  "path": "section/20",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "20",
  "heading": "Interpretation and commencement.",
  "text": "(1) In this Act—\n“ child” includes any person who has not attained the age of 19 years and is registered as a pupil at a school;\n“ ordinary school” means a school which is not a special school;\n“ principal Act” means the Education Act 1944.\n(2) This Act shall come into force on such date as the Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument appoint and different dates may be appointed for different provisions or different purposes.\n(3) Any order under this section may make such transitional provisions as appear to the Secretary of State to be necessary or expedient in connection with the provisions thereby brought into force, including such adaptations of those provisions, or of any other provisions of this Act then in force, as appear to him to be necessary or expedient for the purpose or in consequence of the operation of any provisions of this Act before the coming into force of any other provision.]",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 20(1) (other than the definition of \"principal Act\") repealed (1.9.1994) by 1993 c. 35, ss. 303, 307(1)(3), Sch. 19 para. 82, Sch. 21 Pt.I; S.I. 1994/2038, art. 3, Sch. 2,Appendix."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M1",
      "text": "1944 c. 31."
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "Power of appointment conferred by s. 20(2) fully exercised: 1.4.1983 appointed for residue of Act, (subject to transitional provisions) by S.I. 1983/7"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/60/section/20",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:13:43.562912+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}