Status of guidance

Status of the guidance

Both education authorities and Parent Councils must have regard to the guidance in carrying out their functions under the Act.

The guidance aims to help authorities and parents to decide on arrangements that are appropriate for their local circumstances. It is designed to help education authorities and schools ensure that their policies, practices and arrangements for parental involvement reflect the requirements of the Act. It also aims to help Parent Councils to carry out their functions effectively. However, the guidance is not a definitive interpretation of the Act as ultimately, this is a matter for the courts. The guidance is supported by a range of practical materials and activities in the Parents as partners in their children’s learning toolkit (referred to in this document as ‘the toolkit’). The toolkit has been developed by the Scottish Executive to support authorities, schools and Parent Councils with implementation of the Act. The guidance cross refers to the toolkit where appropriate. The guidance should also be read alongside the Act itself and the Explanatory Notes for the Act.  The Resources section has links to the relevant legislation.