Commentary Part 5: Curriculum and Entitlements Section 75: Education and training to satisfy entitlements
334.This section inserts four new sections (3A, 3B, 3C and 3D) into the Learning and Skills Act 2000. These sections give young people who are over compulsory school age, but have not yet had their 19th birthday, two new entitlements. Young people may exercise either or both of the entitlements. The core entitlement is to a course of study in maths, English and information and communications technology, and the additional entitlement is to a course of study in a Diploma entitlement area specified by the Secretary of State.
335.Section 3D(2) places a duty on the Learning and Skills Council for England to exercise its functions with a view to securing that courses of study within all the specified Diploma entitlement areas are made available in each local learning and skills area unless the provision of a course within a particular Diploma entitlement area would lead to disproportionate expenditure.
336.Both entitlements will cease if a course of study is not begun before a person’s 19th birthday.
337.Subsection (2) amends section 13 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 to ensure that the Council must have regard to the needs of persons with learning difficulties in discharging their functions (by virtue of the new section 3D) in relation to the new entitlements.