A unique guide to the rights of parents of school-age children in Scotland is being launched today by Scotland’s foremost consumer organisation.

Consumer Focus Scotland has produced a third edition of the highly popular reference book on Scots education law The A-Z of Scots Education Law.

The book tells parents about their legal responsibilities and rights over across a wide range of issues concerning their children’s education. It also makes plain what education authorities and schools must do, and what they needn’t do, to meet their legal obligations.

Senior Policy Advocate specialising in education at Consumer Focus Scotland, Jennifer Wallace, says how education is delivered is down to a mix of laws and local education policies:

“Parents expect the best for their children but when they come to try to establish exactly what their children are entitled to they can find a confusing mix of laws and conventions.

“This book explains what sorts of services and arrangements you can expect, by law, to be provided for your child’s education. A lot of education, including how children are actually taught at school, is not laid down by law at all but is actually based on a mix of local policies and Scottish guidance. This book helps parents to understand the complex set of guidance and regulations underpinning education.

“Parents can often achieve most by understanding how education authorities, teachers, parents and pupils can work together to improve learning”.

NOTES TO EDITORS

The third edition of The A-Z of Scots Education Law by Sandra McGuire and Iain Nisbet is published by The Stationery Office, price £6.99.

It can be obtained by contacting TSO directly on 0870 606 5566 or from its online bookstore at: http://www.tso.co.uk/bookshop/bookstore.asp.

The third edition is fully updated to include changes in policy and practice and new legialstion including the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement). Act 2006.

Questions the book answers include:

• Can you be forced to send your child to school?
• Do you have any choice of school?
• Do you have any educational rights if your child is looked after by the local authority?
• What legal rights do school pupils have?
• Must certain things be taught at school?
• Can your child be made to wear school uniform?
• What punishment can schools give to your child?
• Are schools allowed to charge you for anything?
• Can you insist on homework being given?
• What sort of information about schools are you entitled to?
• How much responsibility do schools have for your child’s safety?
• Is there anything education authorities must do before they are allowed to close down a school?
• What can happen if the school rules are disobeyed?
• What is your legal position when teachers go on strike?

And many more! 

Consumer Focus Scotland started work on 1 October 2008. The new organisation was formed through the merger of three organisations – the Scottish Consumer Council, energywatch Scotland, and Postwatch Scotland.

Consumer Focus Scotland is rooted in over 30 years of work promoting the interests of consumers, particularly those who experience disadvantage in society. We work for consumers in aspects of their lives: as council tenants, householders, patients, parents, solicitors’ clients, public transport users, bank depositors and borrowers, postal service users and as shoppers.

We identify issues of concern within various markets; engage and develop policy through research and speaking to everyone involved; campaign for change; and inform consumers about what’s going on. Consumer Focus Scotland has new powers to research and investigate issues and consumer complaints, to publish information that providers hold and, ultimately, present a “supercomplaint” about failing services

Media Contact: To arrange an interview or for more information contact our media adviser, John Macgill or Andrew Ritchie on 0131 556 0050 or john@morhamburn.com.