Vocational Education Act , 1930

PART I. Preliminary.

1 Short title.

1.—This Act may be cited as the Vocational Education Act, 1930.

2 Definitions.

2.—In this Act—

the expression “the Minister” means the Minister for Education;

the word “inspector” means a person authorised in writing (either generally or for a special purpose) by the Minister to exercise all or any of the powers and perform all or any of the duties conferred or imposed on an inspector by this Act;

the word “county” means an administrative county but does not include a county borough;

the expression “local authority” means and includes the council of a county, the council of a county borough, and the council of an urban district;

the expression “the Act of 1889” means the Technical Instruction Act, 1889;

the expression “the Act of 1891” means the Technical Instruction Act, 1891;

the expression “the Act of 1899” means the Agriculture and Technical Instruction (Ireland) Act, 1899;

the expression “the Act of 1925” means the Local Government Act, 1925 (No. 5 of 1925);

the expression “the Act of 1927” means the Local Government Act, 1927 (No. 3 of 1927);

the expression “local financial year” means a period of twelve months ending on any 31st day of March;

the expression “rateable value” means the annual rateable value under the Valuation Acts;

the expression “principal teacher” includes any deputy principal or other teacher for the time being acting as or for a principal teacher;

the word “sickness” includes any physical or mental malady or, injury;

the word “trade”includes any industry, trade, craft or business;

the expression “scheduled urban district” means an urban district mentioned in the First Schedule to this Act;

the expression “election year” means the year 1931 or any ensuing third successive year;

the expression “young person” means a person who has attained the age of fourteen years and has not attained the age of sixteen years;

the word “parent” in relation to a young person means the individual having the legal custody of such young person and, where owing to the absence of such individual or for any other reason such young person is not living with or is not in the actual custody of such individual, includes the individual with whom such young person is living or in whose actual custody such young person is;

the word “employment” in relation to a young person means employment and occupation in any labour exercised by way of trade or for the purpose of gain to such young person or to any other person;

the expression “offence under this Part of this Act” includes an offence under any section or sub-section contained in the Part of this Act in which such expression occurs;

the word “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the Minister under this Act.

3 Continuation education.

3.—For the purposes of this Act the expression “continuation education” means education to continue and supplement education provided in elementary schools and includes general and practical training in preparation for employment in trades, manufactures, agriculture, commerce, and other industrial pursuits, and also general and practical training for improvement of young persons in the early stages of such employment.

4 Technical education.

4.—(1) For the purposes of this Act the expression “technical education” means education pertaining to trades, manufactures, commerce, and other industrial pursuits (including the occupations of girls and women connected with the household) and in subjects bearing thereon or relating thereto and includes education in science and art (including, in the county boroughs of Dublin and Cork, music) and also includes physical training.

(2) The Minister may from time to time by order declare that the expression “technical education” shall for the purposes of this Act include instruction in such subjects connected with such pursuits, employments and occupations (other than agriculture) as may be specified in such order and whenever any such order is made the meaning of the said expression shall for the purposes of this Act be extended in conformity with the provisions of such order.

(3) The Minister may from time to time, after consultation with the Minister for Agriculture, by order declare that the expression “technical education” shall for the purposes of this Act also include instruction in such subjects bearing on or relating to agriculture as may be specified in such order and whenever any such order is made the meaning of the said expression shall for the purposes of this Act be extended in conformity with the provisions of such order.

5 Date of attainment of any particular age.

5.—For the purposes of this Act a person shall be deemed to attain any particular age on whichever of the following days, that is to say, the 31st day of March, the 30th day of June, the 30th day of September or the 31st day of December first occurs after the anniversary of his birth on which he actually attains such age.

PART II. Vocational Education Committees.

6 Vocational education areas.

6.—(1) Every county borough shall be a borough vocational education area for the purposes of this Act.

(2) Every scheduled urban district shall be an urban district vocational education area for the purposes of this Act.

(3) Every county (excluding so much, if any, thereof as is for the time being included in a scheduled urban district) shall be a county vocational education area for the purposes of this Act.

(4) In this Act the expression “vocational education area” includes a borough vocational education area, an urban district vocational education area, and a county vocational education area.

7 Establishment of vocational education committees.

7.—(1) There shall be a committee (in this Act referred to as a vocational education committee) in and for every vocational education area to fulfil in respect of such area the duties assigned to vocational education committees by this Act.

(2) Every vocational education committee shall be styled and known by such style or name as the Minister shall appoint, but unless and until the Minister appoints the style and name of any particular committee, such committee shall be styled and known—

(a) in the case of the committee for a borough vocational education area, by the style or name “The City of (name of the county borough) Vocational Education Committee”; and

(b) in the case of the committee for an urban district vocational education area, by the style or name “The Town of (name of the urban district) Vocational Education Committee”; and

(c) in the case of the committee for a county vocational education area, by the style or name “The County (name of the county) Vocational Education Committee.”

(3) Every vocational education committee shall be a body corporate by its said style or name, and shall have perpetual succession and an official seal (which shall be judicially noticed), with power to acquire and hold land for the purpose of its powers and duties.

8 Constitution of vocational education committees.

8.—(1) The vocational education committee for a borough vocational education area shall consist of fourteen members elected by the council of the county borough which is such borough vocational education area, of whom not less than five nor more than eight shall be persons who are members of such council.

(2) The vocational education committee for an urban district vocational education area shall consist of fourteen members elected by the council of the urban district which is such urban district vocational education area, of whom not less than five nor more than eight shall be persons who are members of such council.

(3) The vocational education committee for a county vocational education area shall consist of—

(a) fourteen members elected by the council of the county which is or includes such county vocational education area, of whom not less than five nor more than eight shall be persons who are members of such council; and

(b) where such vocational education area contains one or more urban districts which are not scheduled urban districts—

(i) if the number of such urban districts does not exceed four, two members elected by the council of each of such urban districts, each of whom may at the discretion of such council be a person who is or a person who is not a member of such council, or

(ii) if the number of such urban districts exceeds four, one member elected by the council of each such urban district who in every case may at the discretion of such council be a person who is or a person who is not a member of such council.

(4) A local authority electing under this section persons to be members of a vocational education committee shall have regard to the interest and experience in education of the person proposed to be so elected and to any recommendations made by bodies (including associations or bodies of employers or of employees) interested in manufactures or trades in the area of such committee and shall, where it appears desirable and circumstances permit, so make such election as to provide for the representation of such bodies on such committee.

9 Elections of members of committees.

9.—(1) The first election by local authorities of members of vocational education committees shall take place on such day as the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Local Government and Public Health, shall appoint for the purpose, and different days may be so appointed in respect of different local authorities.

(2) The following provisions shall have effect in relation to the elections by local authorities of members of vocational education committees (other than the first such elections and elections to fill casual vacancies), that is to say:—

(a) every council of a county or an urban district which is not a borough shall in every election year elect at the annual meeting of such council held in that year such number of members of such vocational education committee as such council is entitled under this Act so to elect, and such election shall be included in the business to be transacted at every such annual meeting of such council; and

(b) every council of a county or other borough shall in every election year elect at the quarterly meeting of such council held between the 23rd day of June and the 15th day of July in that year such number of members of such vocational education committee as such council is entitled under this Act so to elect, and such election shall be included in the business to be transacted at every such quarterly meeting of such council.

(3) In this section the expressions “annual meeting” and “quarterly meeting” have the meanings respectively assigned to them by the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898.

10 Term of office of members of committees.

10.—(1) The term of office of every member of a vocational education committee elected at the first election of members of such committee shall commence at the commencement of the first meeting of such committee.

(2) The term of office of every member of a vocational education committee (other than a member elected at the first election of members of such committee or a member elected to fill a casual vacancy) shall commence at the termination of the meeting of the local authority at which he was elected.

(3) Every member of a vocational education committee (other than a member elected to fill a casual vacancy) shall, unless he sooner dies, resigns, or becomes disqualified, hold office until the next meeting of the local authority by whom he was elected at which such authority is required by this Act to elect (otherwise than to fill a casual vacancy) members or a member of such committee.

11 Resignation and disqualification of members of committees.

11.—(1) A member of a vocational education committee may at any time resign his office as such member by letter addressed and sent to the chief executive officer of such committee and every such resignation shall take effect at the commencement of the meeting of such committee commencing next after the receipt of such resignation by such officer.

(2) Whenever a member of a vocational education committee who was, at the time of his election as such member, a member of the local authority by which he was so elected, ceases to be a member of such local authority he shall be disqualified for continuing to be and shall forthwith cease to be a member of such committee but shall, if not otherwise disqualified, be eligible for re-election.

(3) If a member of a vocational education committee is absent from all meetings of such committee for a period of six consecutive months he shall, unless his absence was due to illness or was approved of by the committee, be disqualified at the expiration of such period from continuing to be a member of such committee and shall also be disqualified for one year from such expiration for being a member of such committee.

(4) A member of a vocational education committee shall, if not otherwise disqualified, be eligible for election as a member of such committee at or in contemplation of the expiration by effluxion of time of his term of office as such member.

12 Filling of casual vacancies in committees.

12.—(1) Whenever a vacancy (in this Act referred to as a casual vacancy) occurs in the membership of a vocational education committee by reason of the death, resignation, or disqualification of a member thereof, the local authority by whom such member was elected shall, as soon as conveniently may be, elect a person to fill such vacancy.

(2) In electing a person to fill a casual vacancy in the membership of a vocational education committee, the local authority electing such person shall have regard to the provisions of this Act in relation to the number of members of such committee who are required to be members of such authority.

(3) A person elected to fill a casual vacancy in the membership of a vocational education committee shall, unless he sooner dies, resigns, or becomes disqualified, hold office as a member of such committee for the residue of the term for which the member whose death, resignation, or disqualification occasioned the vacancy would have held office as such member if he had not died, resigned, or become disqualified.

13 Meetings of vocational education committees.

13.—(1) Every vocational education committee shall hold its first meeting on such day, at such time and in such place as the Minister shall appoint.

(2) Every vocational education committee shall, in every local financial year and before the 1st day of December in such year, hold a meeting in this Act referred to as the annual meeting.

(3) Every vocational education committee shall hold at least one meeting in every month other than the months of July, August and September.

(4) Every vocational education committee shall hold at least one meeting during the period commencing on the 1st day of July and ending on the 30th day of September in every year.

(5) Subject to the provisions of this section and the next following section, every vocational education committee shall hold such and so many meetings, at such times, and in such places as it thinks proper.

14 Triennial meetings of vocational education committees.

14.—(1) Every vocational education committee shall in every election year hold a meeting (in this Act referred to as a triennial meeting) on the day appointed under this section in respect of such year for the holding of such meeting by such committee.

(2) Every vocational education committee shall on or before the 31st day of May in every election year appoint a day (not being earlier than three days nor later than ten days after the completion of the elections in such year of the members of such committee) for the holding of the triennial meeting in such year by such committee.

(3) Where in any election year no day has been appointed under the foregoing sub-section for the holding of a triennial meeting of a vocational education committee in that year, the day for the holding of such meeting in such year shall be the seventh day after the completion of the elections in such year of the members of such committee.

(4) Where a triennial meeting of a vocational education committee is for any reason (including a quorum not being present) not held on the day appointed under this section for the holding of such meeting the chief executive officer of such committee shall as soon as may be summon a meeting of such committee for a convenient hour on the day which appears to him to be the earliest convenient date for the purpose and the meeting held in pursuance of such summons shall be for all purposes a triennial meeting held on a date appointed under this section.

(5) Where the members of a vocational education committee are required by this Act to be elected by two or more local authorities and in any election year such local authorities do not all hold such elections on the same day, the date of the completion of the election of such members shall for the purposes of this section be the last day on which any of such elections is held.

15 Chairman of vocational education committees.

15.—(1) Every vocational education committee shall, at its first meeting and also at every triennial meeting, elect one of its members to be the chairman of such committee.

(2) Whenever the office of chairman of a vocational education committee becomes vacant through the death, resignation, or disqualification of the chairman, such committee shall, at its next meeting after the occurrence of such vacancy, elect one of its members to be the chairman of such committee.

(3) Every person elected to be the chairman of a vocational education committee shall, unless he sooner dies, resigns, or becomes disqualified, hold office as such chairman until the commencement of the next triennial meeting of such committee after the meeting at which he is so elected.

(4) The chairman of a vocational education committee may at any time resign his office as such chairman by letter addressed to the chief executive officer of such committee and every such resignation shall take effect at the commencement of the meeting of such committee commencing next after the receipt of such resignation by such officer.

(5) Whenever the chairman of a vocational education committee ceases during his term of office as such chairman to be a member of such committee he shall be disqualified for being and shall forthwith cease to be such chairman.

(6) Whenever, at an election of the chairman of a vocational education committee, there is an equality of votes for two or more persons, one of those persons shall be elected by lot.

16 Vice-chairman of vocational education Committees.

16.—(1) A vocational education committee may at any time, if it so thinks fit, elect one of its members to be the vice-chairman of such committee.