Education (Scotland) Act 2025

The Learner Interest Committee

11 (1) Qualifications Scotland must establish and maintain a committee to be known as the Learner Interest Committee.

(2) The function of the committee is to advise the members and staff of Qualifications Scotland in relation to the exercise of Qualifications Scotland’s functions from the perspective of persons undertaking a Qualifications Scotland qualification.

(3) The committee—

(a) may include one member of Qualifications Scotland who was appointed to satisfy paragraph 3(2)(a),

(b) other than any appointment made under paragraph (a), must consist of—

(i) children and young people (whether or not they have experience in relation to undertaking a Qualifications Scotland qualification), and

(ii) other persons who are undertaking, or have recent experience of undertaking, a Qualifications Scotland qualification.

(4) The committee members appointed by virtue of sub-paragraph (3)(b) must not include persons who are members of, or members of staff of, Qualifications Scotland.

(5) In the event that a committee member is appointed by virtue of sub-paragraph (3)(a), Qualifications Scotland must appoint that committee member and another committee member as co-conveners of the committee.

(6) A committee member appointed by virtue of sub-paragraph (3)(a) is not entitled to vote at any meeting of the committee.

(7) In appointing persons to the committee, Qualifications Scotland must—

(a) encourage equal opportunities and in particular the observance of the equal opportunity requirements,

(b) have regard to the desirability of the committee including persons who—

(i) have experience of being in the care system,

(ii) are from a socio-economically disadvantaged background, or

(iii) have educational support needs.

(8) Before appointing a person as a member of the committee, Qualifications Scotland must consult the Scottish Ministers.

(9) In the exercise of its functions, the committee must, in every case in which it appears to the committee appropriate to do so, consult—

(a) the Strategic Advisory Council,

(b) the Teacher and Practitioner Interest Committee,

(c) any other committee or sub-committee established by Qualifications Scotland,

(d) such other persons as the committee considers appropriate.

(10) Qualifications Scotland must convene a meeting of members of Qualifications Scotland and of the committee where—

(a) the committee reasonably requests a meeting, or

(b) Qualifications Scotland otherwise considers it appropriate to do so.

(11) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (3)(b)(i), “children and young people” means persons under the age of 18.