COWDENBEATH MSP Annabelle Ewing, has written to the Director of Education at Fife Council, Ms Carrie Lindsay, expressing her concerns about the results of the process by which some of her constituents’ children have been allocated pre-school places.

Ms Ewing has been contacted by a number of concerned parents who feel that their children have received placements which could have a bad impact on their pre-school edcuation.

The MSP said: “Education services are under a huge amount of strain at the moment and I think we all recognise the amount of work that the Council’s Education department is doing to ensure that children’s schooling can continue under these lockdown conditions.

“There are other education related matters to be dealt with, however, and I have been contacted by quite a number of constituents concerned at the pre-school place that their children have been allocated for when nursery schools return".

Ms Ewing added: “Some children, having made friends and developed relationships with staff are being told to go to a new nursery where they know no-one. For the parents, this can mean logistical nightmares getting children to a new nursery that might be some miles away.

“In some cases, grandparents who walked to and from the nursery school to collect a child will now need to take public transport there and back, for others arrangements with professional childminders may no longer be possible.

“There are cases where a child has been attending a nursery in the local primary school attended by older siblings but has now been allocated to a new nursery some miles away – the difficulties that could cause are obvious

“I have raised a series of questions with the Director of Education seeking further clarity on the decision making process and what options there are for those of my constituents who, for a variety of reasons, might be unhappy with the decisions that have been reached".

Ms Ewing concluded: “It really does seem to me that there has been a failure to take proper account of the full picture of a family’s needs in assessing these placing allocations which need to be better grounded in the reality of the way in which people live their lives.

“I have sought, over many months, to make the case for returners to be allowed to remain at their current nursery. This would be the equitable approach, would meet parents’ legitimate expectations and would be in keeping with the GIRFEC approach – Get it Right For Every Child.”