Education (Scotland) Act 2025

The Teacher and Practitioner Interest Committee

12 (1) Qualifications Scotland must establish and maintain a committee to be known as the Teacher and Practitioner 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 providing teaching or training in respect of a Qualifications Scotland qualification.

(3) The committee—

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

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

(i) one or more persons who are undertaking, or who have recent experience of undertaking, training to be teachers in schools, and

(ii) persons who are providing teaching or training, or have recent experience of providing teaching or training, in respect of 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 encourage equal opportunities and in particular the observance of the equal opportunity requirements.

(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 Learner Interest Committee,

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

(d) representatives from recognised trade unions which represent the interests of the persons mentioned in sub-paragraph (3)(b),

(e) 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.