Singapore legislation

Section 3

of School Boards (Incorporation) Act 1990

Section 3

Establishment of governing boards for schools

(1)

The Minister may, from time to time, by order in the Gazette, establish a governing board by any name that the Minister may designate for the purpose of conducting a school named in the order and promulgate a constitution for that governing board.

(2)

A governing board established pursuant to an order made under subsection (1) is a body corporate by the name specified in the order capable of performing such acts as bodies corporate may by law perform and of suing and being sued and having perpetual succession and a common seal with power to exercise and perform the functions and duties that are conferred or imposed on it by or under this Act and the order made under subsection (1).

(3)

A governing board consists of such number of governors as may be prescribed in an order made under subsection (1).

(4)

Without limiting subsection (1), an order made under that subsection may make provisions —

(a)

to provide that the appointments of governors are to be made with the approval of the Minister;

(b)

as to the tenure of office and the qualifications of governors;

(c)

as to the suspension or removal from office of governors;

(d)

as to the circumstances in which persons are disqualified for holding office as governors;

(e)

for filling vacancies in the governing board;

(f)

as to the election or appointment of a chairperson or vice‑chairperson (if any) of the governing board;

(g)

to provide that the principal of the school named in the order is to be appointed by the governing board with the approval of the Director‑General;

(h)

conferring upon the governing board full discretion to act with respect to the following matters:

(i)

the recruitment, promotion and dismissal of and the exercise of disciplinary control over teachers and other staff of the school;

(ii)

determining the policy or conditions for the admission of pupils to the school and the dismissal of pupils;

(iii)

determining the fees payable by the pupils of the school;

(i)

to allow the governing board to retain the fees collected from the pupils of the school for the purpose of defraying expenses incurred for conducting the school;

(j)

as to the establishment, constitution, meetings and proceedings of committees;

(k)

for the delegation of functions of the governing board in such circumstances as may be specified in the order to committees established by the governing board or to any governor; and

(l)

as to the procedure (including any quorum) when business is transacted by the governing board.

(5)

Subject to the provisions of an order made under subsection (1), a governing board may regulate its own procedure.

(6)

The proceedings of a governing board are not invalidated by —

(a)

any vacancy among the governors; or

(b)

any defect in the appointment of any governor.

(7)

The provision mentioned in subsection (4)(j) may provide for a committee to include persons who are not governors.