PART IV
SCHOOLS APPEALS BOARD
13.
—(1) A board to be called the Schools Appeals Board (referred to in this Act as the Appeals Board) shall be established in Singapore.
(2) The following shall be members of the Appeals Board:
(a)
a Chairman, who shall not hold any office of emolument under the Government, to be appointed by the Minister;
(b)
two persons to be nominated by such institutions of higher education as may be approved for that purpose by the Minister;
(c)
two registered teachers, not being Government teachers, and two registered managers, to be appointed by the Minister; and
(d)
two other persons to be appointed by the Minister.
(3) The Minister may appoint a secretary to the Appeals Board.
(4) Every member of the Appeals Board appointed by the Minister shall unless the Minister shall otherwise direct hold office for a period of 3 years:
Provided that the Minister may at any time revoke any such appointment.
(5) Every member of the Appeals Board nominated in accordance with subsection (2)(b) shall unless the Minister otherwise directs hold office for a period of 3 years:
Provided that the institution of higher education which nominated a member may at any time revoke the nomination.
(6) On the expiry of his period of office a member of the Appeals Board may be reappointed or with the approval of the Minister be renominated.
(7) On the death, bankruptcy, inability to act, resignation, absence from Singapore for more than 3 months or revocation of the nomination or appointment of any member of the Appeals Board, he shall forthwith cease to be a member of the Appeals Board and a new member shall be nominated or appointed in accordance with sub-section (2), as the case may be.
[12
14.
—(1) The procedure of the Appeals Board shall be in accordance with the provisions of Part XII.
(2) The quorum of the Appeals Board shall be 5:
Provided that no appeal which concerns the registration of a manager or teacher shall be proceeded with unless one of the members present is a registered manager or registered teacher, as the case may be.
(3) No member of the Appeals Board shall take part in the hearing of an adjourned appeal who was not present at all previous hearings of the appeal.
(4) The proceedings of the Appeals Board shall not be open to the public.
(5) No act or proceedings of the Appeals Board shall be questioned on account of any vacancy on it.
(6) Subject to the provisions of this Act the Appeals Board may regulate its own procedure.
[13
15. It shall be the duty of the Appeals Board to hear and decide all appeals from the decisions of the Director-General under this Act other than those expressly excepted under section 48(2)(a):
Provided that the Appeals Board shall not hear an appeal from any Government teacher other than an appeal against the cancellation of his registration as a teacher.
[14
16. In the exercise of its functions the Appeals Board shall have the following powers:
(a)
to take evidence on oath;
(b)
to summon any person to attend any hearing of the Appeals Board to give evidence or produce any document or other article in his possession:
Provided that no person shall be bound to answer any question or produce any document in respect of any matter which would have been protected from disclosure on the ground of privilege if the proceedings had been held in any court;
(c)
to order an inspection of any school premises; and
(d)
to enter and view any school premises.
[15
17. Any person who being summoned to attend as a witness or to produce any document or other article at a hearing of the Appeals Board refuses or neglects to do so or refuses to answer any questions put to him by or with the concurrence of the Appeals Board shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $500 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to both:
Provided that no person shall be bound to incriminate himself or to answer any question or produce any document in respect of any matter which would have been protected from disclosure on the ground of privilege if the proceedings had been held in any court.
[16