Singapore legislation
Regulation 90
Regulation 90
School Fund
Subregulation 1
For the purpose of controlling the moneys collected from pupils in Government and Government‑aided schools, a fund called the School Fund is established, which must be administered by the Director‑General and into which must be paid moneys as directed by the provisions of this Part or the Director‑General.
Subregulation 2
The Director-General may authorise the principal of any Government or Government‑aided school or any cluster superintendent to assist the Director‑General in the administration of the School Fund.
Subregulation 3
Every principal or cluster superintendent authorised by the Director‑General to administer the School Fund under paragraph (2) must, with respect to that part of the School Fund he or she is authorised to administer —
perform such duties and cause such records and accounts to be kept and rendered as may be prescribed by these Regulations or by instructions issued by the Director‑General or the Government in matters of financial and accounting procedures; and
comply with such other directions as the Director‑General or the Government may issue from time to time.
Subregulation 4
If it appears to the Director‑General that any principal or cluster superintendent who is not in the employment of the Government but who is authorised by the Director‑General to administer the School Fund under paragraph (2) —
has failed to collect any moneys owing to the School Fund the collection of which the principal or cluster superintendent was responsible for;
is responsible for any improper payment of moneys from the School Fund or for any payment of such moneys which was not duly vouched; or
is responsible for any deficiency in any moneys in the School Fund,the Director‑General may require the principal or cluster superintendent to furnish an explanation for the matter referred to in sub-paragraph (a), (b) or (c) (as the case may be) within the period specified by the Director‑General.
Subregulation 5
If a satisfactory explanation is not furnished to the Director‑General within the period specified by the Director‑General under paragraph (4), the Director‑General may appoint a committee to inquire into the matter and to submit a report to the Director‑General.
Subregulation 6
The committee referred to in paragraph (5) is to consist of —
a public officer appointed by the Director‑General;
a person appointed by the employer of the principal or cluster superintendent concerned; and
a person, not being a public officer or an employee of the employer referred to in sub-paragraph (b), appointed jointly by the Director‑General and the employer referred to in sub‑paragraph (b).
Subregulation 7
The Director-General may, upon considering the report of the committee referred to in paragraph (5), surcharge against the principal or cluster superintendent concerned the whole or such proportion as the Director‑General thinks fit of any amount not collected, improper payment or deficiency, as the case may be.
Subregulation 8
The Director-General may at any time withdraw any surcharge in respect of which a satisfactory explanation has been received or if it otherwise appears that no surcharge should have been made.
Subregulation 9
The amount of any surcharge made under paragraph (7) and not withdrawn under paragraph (8) is a debt due to the Government from the person against whom the surcharge is made and may be sued for and recovered in any court of competent jurisdiction at the suit of the Government.
Subregulation 10
The Director-General may direct that the amount of any surcharge is to be recovered by equal monthly instalments by deductions from the salary of the person against whom the surcharge is made in amounts not exceeding one‑fourth of the total monthly salary of the person.
Subregulation 11
Any interest accruing to the moneys in the School Fund must be retained in the School Fund and used for the benefit of pupils and the advancement of education.
Subregulation 12
For the purposes of this rule, “cluster superintendent” means any person who has been designated by the Director‑General to perform supervisory and advisory functions over a group of schools in a cluster.