The objects of this Bill are to make provision for the updating of various parts in the Education Act which are required for the better functioning of the educational sectors concerned, namely schools within compulsory education, examinations, the teaching profession and further and higher education. In particular, the Bill aims to upgrade the relevant definitions of the Act with the aim of providing a clearer picture of the various aspects of the further and higher education and with a view to reflecting European and national developments in this field. It also serves to attribute additional functions to the National Commission on Higher Education in order for it to be able to undertake functions relating to qualifications, recognition, licensing, accreditation and quality assurance of further and higher education. This serves to streamline the various regulatory and policy functions within further and higher education into one single entity and to enable the adoption of subsidiary legislation in related areas in order to regulate the sector.