Summary: The Ombudsman cannot investigate Mrs X’s complaint about being removed from a Council run course as it is outside his legal remit.

The complaint

1. The complainant, whom I shall call Mrs X, complains she has been removed from a Council run course.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We cannot investigate complaints about what happens in schools or educational estanblishments. (Local Government Act 1974, Schedule 5, paragraph 5(b), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I have considered what Mrs X said in her complaint.

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What I found

4. Mrs X was attending a Council run course but had to take a break due to a family situation. When Mrs X wanted to return to the course, she was told she had been removed from it.

Analysis

5. The law says we cannot investigate complaints relating to the giving of instruction, whether secular or religious or the conduct, curriculum, internal organisation, management or discipline, in any school or other educational establishment maintained by the authority. This means we cannot investigate Mrs X’s complaint.

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Final decision

6. We cannot investigate Mrs X’s complaint as it relates to education provided by the Council and so is outside our legal remit.

Investigator’s final decision on behalf of the Ombudsman

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman