Section 16 – Dispute resolution
33.This section enables the Scottish Ministers, by regulations, to require education authorities to put in place arrangements to resolve disputes between the authority and any parents or young people in the local authority area. These arrangements must be free of charge. Regulations may prescribe which disputes relating to particular functions of the authority under the Act will be subject to dispute resolution. Parents, and young people, will not be compelled to use any dispute resolution procedure put in place, nor will their entitlement to make a referral to a Tribunal be affected.