Section 53, The Education Act, 2004

(1) The Minister may by statutory instrument make rulesfor carrying out the purposes of this Act. (2) Without prejudice to the generality of the powers conferred by subsection (1), such rules may– (a) prescribe the conditions governing admission to government schools or assisted schools; (b) prescribe the conditions governing the expulsion or exclusion of pupils from government schools or assisted schools on the grounds of discipline or age; (c) prescribe, subject to section 50, for the compulsory attendance of pupils at any government school, or assisted school, where no fees are charged; (d) prescribe the conditions governing the payment of grants-in-aid of schools, boarding houses and other institutions to which grants may be made in accordance with this Act, the conditions under which and the manner in which local authorities may allocate grantsin-aid of primary schools, and the grounds upon which such grants may be revoked or withheld; Powers of Minister to make rules. General penalty. Apprenticeship. Medical inspection. Compulsory attendance. (e) prescribe the conditions governing the grant and withdrawal of bursaries or scholarships for the maintenance and tuition of pupils in schools and other institutions in Sierra Leone or elsewhere; (f) prescribe such fees as the Minister is empowered to prescribe by this Act; (g) prescribe the manner in which and the times and places at which the medical inspection and treatment of children attending any schools shall be carried out, and providing for the exclusion from any schools, either permanently or for any specified period, of any pupil who refuses or fails to undergo medical inspection or any medical treatment which a Medical Officer considers to be necessary, or who is suffering from any infections or contagious disease which is likely, in the opinion of a Medical Officer, to be detrimental to the health of other pupils attending such school; (h) prescribe the conditions for securing freedom of conscience and due respect for the religious beliefs of teachers and pupils at government schools and assisted schools; (i) prescribe the conditions under which pupils may, for the purpose of learning a trade or becoming teachers, be apprenticed to the Minister or his representative or to the person in charge of any institution approved by the Minister; (j) prescribe the duties of officers appointed under this Act and conferring upon such officers the powers necessary for giving effect to the provisions thereof; (k) prescribe the conditions governing the membership of Education Committees with respect to persons other than members of local authorities; (l) (i) prescribe the terms and conditions relating to the membership of any Board of Governors, school management committees, literacy centre management committees and to matters connected therewith; (ii) prescribe the powers and duties of any Board of Governors, school management committee or literacy centre management committee in relation to their management of a school or literacy centre, as the case may be; (m) prescribe the courses and subjects of instruction to be given in government schools and assisted schools; (n) prescribe the times at which meetings of bodies established under this Act shall be held, and the procedure to be followed at such meetings; (o) prescribe the manner in which applications for the establishment and opening of new schools shall be submitted; (p) prescribe the conditions under which and the manner in which local authorities may control the establishment of new primary schools; and the extension of existing primary schools; (q) prescribe the conditions governing the issue of certificates to teachers; (r) prescribe the procedure regulating the registration of teachers; (s) prescribe the conditions governing the provision of distance education to persons and institutions country wide; (t) prescribe the records, statistics and accounts to be kept, and the returns and reports to be made to the Ministry, and the manner in which such records, statistics and accounts shall be kept and the manner in which and the times at which such returns and reports shall be made by the managers of private schools and the headteachers of assisted schools; (u) prescribe the procedure for the submitting of appeals by teachers aggrieved by the manner in which their terms and conditions of service, including salary, have been applied to them; (v) prescribe the conditions of examinations to be held by or under the supervision of the Ministry and the fees payable in respect thereof and penalties for the breach of public examination rules or proper practices; (w) prescribe the conditions governing the use of government school buildings out of school hours; (x) prescribe such forms as the Minister is empowered to prescribe under this Act; (y) provide for or prescribe any other matter or thing which the Minister is empowered to provide for or prescribe under this Act.