Education (Scotland) Act 1945

68 Determination of complaints.

(1) Any person upon whom a notice of complaint or a copy of such a notice is served under the last foregoing section may, within the time limited by the notice, appeal therefrom by referring the complaint, in such manner as may be provided by rules made under this Part of this Act, to an Independent Schools Tribunal constituted in accordance with the provisions of the Third Schedule to this Act.

(2) Upon a complaint being referred to an Independent Schools Tribunal the tribunal shall, after affording to all parties concerned an opportunity of being heard, and after considering such evidence as may be tendered by them or on their behalf, have power—

(a) to order that the complaint be annulled ;

(b) to order that the school in respect of which the notice of complaint was served be struck off the register;

(c) to order that the school be so struck off unless the requirements of the notice, with such modifications, if any, as may be specified in the order, are complied with to the satisfaction of the Secretary of State before the expiration of such time as may be specified in the order:

Provided that where the Secretary of State intimates that he is not satisfied that such requirements are complied with, the person upon whom the notice of complaint or a copy thereof has been served may, within fourteen days after such intimation, refer the matter to the tribunal, who shall have power to dispose of the reference in such manner as shall appear to them to be just;

(d) if satisfied that the premises alleged by the notice of complaint to be unsuitable for use as a school or any part of such premises are in fact unsuitable for such use, by order to disqualify the premises or part from being so used, or if satisfied that the accommodation provided at the school premises or any part thereof is inadequate or unsuitable having regard to the number, ages and sex of the pupils attending the school, by order to disqualify the premises or the said part as the case may be from being used as a school or part of a school for pupils exceeding such number or of such age or sex as may be specified in the order ;

(e) if satisfied that any person alleged by the notice of complaint to be a person who is not proper to be the proprietor of an independent school or to be a teacher in any school is in fact such a person, by order to disqualify that person from being the proprietor of any-independent school or from being a teacher in any school, as the case may be.

(3) Where a notice of complaint has been served under this Part of this Act on the proprietor of any school and the complaint is not referred by him to an Independent Schools Tribunal within the time limited in that behalf by the notice, the Secretary of State shall have power to make any order which such a tribunal would have had power to make if the complaint had been so referred :

Provided that if the Secretary of State makes any such order as is mentioned in paragraph (c) of the last foregoing subsection, the proviso to the said paragraph shall apply in like manner as if the order had been made by the tribunal:

Provided also that, if it was alleged by the notice of complaint that any person employed as a teacher at the school is not a proper person to be a teacher in any school and that person has, within the time limited in that behalf by the copy of the notice served upon him, referred the complaint to an Independent Schools Tribunal, the Secretary of State shall not have power to make an order requiring his dismissal or disqualifying him from being a teacher in any school.

(4) Where by virtue of an order made by an Independent Schools Tribunal or by the Secretary of State any person is disqualified either from being the proprietor of an independent school or from being a teacher in any school, then, unless the order otherwise directs, that person shall, by virtue of the order, be disqualified both from being the proprietor of an independent school and from being a teacher in any school.