{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/education-act-1996/section-13",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/education-act-1996/section-13.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1996/56",
  "legislation_title": "Education Act 1996",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/education-act-1996",
  "path": "section/13",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "13",
  "heading": "General responsibility for education.",
  "text": "(1) A local authority shall (so far as their powers enable them to do so) contribute towards the spiritual, moral, mental and physical development of the community by securing that efficient primary education, and secondary education and, in the case of a local authority in England, further education, are available to meet the needs of the population of their area.\n(2) The duty imposed by subsection (1) does not extend to matters in respect of which any duty is imposed on—\n(a) the the Secretary of State under Part 4 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 ...\n(ba) the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research, or\n(c) the Office for Students.\n(3) The reference in subsection (1) to further education is to further education for persons—\n(none) “(a) who are over compulsory school age but under 19, or\n(b) who are aged 19 or over and for whom an EHC plan is maintained.”\n(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(6) For the purposes of subsection (1), persons who are subject to a detention order are to be regarded as part of the population of the area in which they are detained (and not any other area).",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in Act substituted (5.5.2010) by The Local Education Authorities and Children’s Services Authorities (Integration of Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/1158), Sch. 2 para. 7(2) (with Sch. 2 para. 7(4)(5))"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 13(1) substituted (28.7.2000 for certain purposes, otherwise 1.4.2001) by 2000 c. 21, ss. 149, 154, Sch. 9 para. 52(2) (with s. 150); S.I. 2001/654, art. 2(2), Sch. Pt. II (with art. 3); S.I. 2001/1274, art. 2(1), Sch. Pt. I"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 13(1) inserted (1.4.2010) by Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 (c. 22), s. 269(4), Sch. 2 para. 2(2); S.I. 2010/303, art. 3, Sch. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 13(2)(a)(b) substituted (28.7.2000 for certain purposes, otherwise 1.4.2001) by 2000 c. 21, ss. 149, 154, Sch. 9 para. 52(3) (with s. 150); S.I. 2001/654, art. 2(2), Sch. Pt. II (with art. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 13(2)(a) substituted (26.5.2015) by Deregulation Act 2015 (c. 20), s. 115(3)(g), Sch. 14 para. 43"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 13(2)(a) omitted (1.4.2006) by virtue of The National Council for Education and Training for Wales (Transfer of Functions to the National Assembly for Wales and Abolition) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/3238), art. 1(1), Sch. 1 para. 32(a) (with art. 7)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "S. 13(2)(ba) substituted for s. 13(2)(aa)(b) (1.4.2026) by Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022 (asc 1), s. 148(2), Sch. 4 para. 8(2) (with s. 19); W.S.I. 2026/62, art. 2(ww)(iv)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "S. 13(3)-(6) inserted (1.4.2010) by Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 (c. 22), s. 269(4), Sch. 2 para. 2(3); S.I. 2010/303, art. 3, Sch. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Words in s. 13(3)(b) substituted (1.9.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 3 para. 3(2); S.I. 2014/889, art. 7(a) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/2270 (as amended (1.4.2015) by S.I. 2015/505)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "S. 13(4) omitted (1.9.2014) by virtue of Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 3 para. 3(3); S.I. 2014/889, art. 7(a) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/2270 (as amended (1.4.2015) by S.I. 2015/505)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "S. 13(5) omitted (1.9.2014) by virtue of Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 3 para. 3(3); S.I. 2014/889, art. 7(a) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/2270 (as amended (1.4.2015) by S.I. 2015/505)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 13 modified (prosp.) by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (c. 41), ss. 36, 162 (with s. 159)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 13 modified (temp.) (1.8.2024) by The Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022 (Commencement No. 4 and Transitory and Transitional Provisions) Order 2024 (S.I. 2024/806), art. 19 (with art. 28)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "modified",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2002/41",
      "affecting_title": "Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/56/section/13",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:29:40.627017+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."
}