(1) In regulation 4(2) of the principal Regulations, after sub-paragraph (d) there shall be inserted the words “except at any time when his employment is excluded employment by reason of regulation 4A”.
(2) After regulation 4 of the principal Regulations there shall be inserted the following Regulations:—
Voluntary Membership
(4A)
(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of regulation 4(2), a teacher who—
(a) is employed in reckonable service, or
(b) is not so employed but expects to enter an employment in which he would be so employed,
may at any time, by giving written notice to the Secretary of State, make an election under this Regulation.
(2) As from the date from which the election has effect, the employment referred to in paragraph (1) and any subsequent periods of employment which would otherwise be reckonable service shall, subject to regulation 4B below, not be reckonable service, and employment where this paragraph applies is in these Regulations referred to as “excluded employment”.
(3) An election under this regulation shall have effect—
(a) where paragraph 1(a) applies, from the first day of the pay period after that in which the notice was received by the Secretary of State;
(b) where paragraph 1(b) applies, if the notice is received by the Secretary of State within the first pay period of commencing employment, from the date on which the teacher became so employed.
(4) For the purposes of this regulation and regulation 4B—
“pay period” means the period of employment at the end of which a teacher receives payment of salary from his employer.
Resumption of Membership
(4B)
(1) Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), a teacher who has made an election under regulation 4A, who has since been in excluded employment and who—
(a) is in excluded employment, or
(b) is not in, but expects to enter, employment which is excluded employment by virtue of his having previously made an election under regulation 4A,
may, at any time, by giving written notice to the Secretary of State, make an election under this regulation.
(2) As from the date on which the election has effect, subject to regulation 4A, any excluded employment on or after that date shall become employment in reckonable service.
(3) An election under this regulation shall have effect—
(a) where paragraph 1(a) applies, from the first day of the pay period after that in which the notice was received by the Secretary of State; and
(b) where paragraph 1(b) applies, if the notice is received by the Secretary of State within the first pay period of commencing that employment, from the date on which he became so employed.
(4) If after making an election under this regulation a teacher makes a further election under regulation 4A above, he may make a further election under this regulation only if, since he made the further election under regulation 4A, there has been a period of not less than 5 years during which he was not in any excluded employment.
(5) For the purposes of this regulation the Secretary of State may in a particular case—
(a) accept an election where the period specified in paragraph (4) is less than 5 years; or
(b) refuse to accept an election where the teacher is on sick leave.