After subsection (1) there shall be inserted—

“(1A)

The education authorities shall—

(a)

in carrying out the duty imposed on them by subsection (1) above; and

(b)

in deciding when that duty does not apply,

have regard to such guidance as the Scottish Ministers may give in that respect.”.

In subsection (3)(a) (which sets out certain exceptions to the duty of an education authority to accede to a parent’s request that a child be placed in a specified school under their management), after sub-paragraph (v) there shall be added—

“(vi)

assuming that pupil numbers remain constant, make it necessary, at the commencement of a future stage of the child’s primary education, for the authority to elect either to create an additional class (or an additional composite class) in the specified school or to take an additional teacher into employment at that school; or

(vii)

though neither of the tests set out in sub-paragraphs (i) and (ii) above is satisfied, have the consequence that the capacity of the school would be exceeded in terms of pupil numbers;”.