Cap. 605 Art. 16Department responsible for the regulation of pre- compulsory and compulsory education.

(1) There shall be a Department which shall be responsible to regulate pre-compulsory and compulsory education through establishing, monitoring and assuring standards and quality in educational services and programmes provided by schools and childcare centres, whether State or not, as provided for in this Act and any regulations made thereunder. In particular this Department shall carry out the functions referred to in article 12(2)(a) to (p).

(2) This Department shall be independent and autonomous in its operation.

(3) The Department may, for the purposes of giving practical guidance on matters relating to inspections under article 17 and investigations under article 18 and to lay out practices with respect to those matters, from time to time prepare, approve and issue such codes of practice as in its opinion are suitable for those purposes.