Education (Scotland) Act 1945

27 Reasonable excuses.

(1) For the purposes of the last two foregoing sections, there shall be deemed to be a reasonable excuse if—

(a) there is within walking distance of the child's home measured by the nearest available route no school of a kind mentioned in the second proviso to subsection (1) of section eleven of this Act the managers of which are willing to receive the child, and either—

(i) no arrangements have been made by the education authority under section thirty-three of this Act with regard to the child, or

(ii) any arrangements so made are such as to require the child to walk more than walking distance in the course of any journey between his home and school; or

(b) the child has been prevented by sickness from attending school or receiving education as the case may be ; or

(c) there are other circumstances which in the opinion of the education authority or the court afford a reasonable excuse.

(2) When a parent alleges that his child has been prevented by sickness from attending school or receiving education as the case may be, the parent shall, if required by the education authority, permit a medical officer of the education authority to examine the child, and any parent who fails to do so shall be guilty of an offence against this section.

(3) In this section the expression " walking distance " means, in the case of a child who has not attained the age of eight years, two miles, and, in the case of any other child, three miles.