A WEST FIFE mum hit out at Fife Council after a placing request to get her son into Dunfermline High School was unsuccessful.

The Masterton Primary pupil was one of the 95 youngsters who were told just before Christmas that they did not have a place at Woodmill High and had been allocated a space at Inverkeithing High.

As reported by the Press, parents were given a glimmer of hope in January that their child could go to school in Dunfermline when suggestions were made that education services would do their best to get the children into their preferred second-choice school.

Fife Council this week said two-thirds of pupils had had placing requests accepted at Dunfermline High, however, this means some families were faced with more disappointment in the long-running saga.

One parent, who didn’t want to be named, said she was “angry and disappointed” at their family’s latest knockback.

“At the meeting at the school, Shelagh McLean and Fay Sinclair gave an indication that if we all put in placing requests, they were very hopeful they would be able to accommodate everyone at Dunfermline High,” she said.

“There’s a real sense of anger among parents that that was dangled in front of us and we were encouraged to do this. Were they lying to us or was it sheer incompetence? We are in the position that our kids have three months of Primary 7 left and don’t know where they are going to high school. It is a ridiculous position to be in.”

Fife Council’s head of education and children’s services, Shelagh McLean, confirmed that they had so far been able to issue acceptances to more than two-thirds of those who made a placing request for Dunfermline High.

“Acceptance letters have been issued to a significant number of parents who have made placing requests to Queen Anne, Inverkeithing and Dunfermline high schools and parents have been asked to confirm with the council’s education service if they are accepting these places,” she said.

“We anticipate that a number of parents from Woodmill High School catchment area will take up these offers of places at alternative schools which will allow these places to be offered to pupils on the Woodmill High School waiting list.

“We will offer these places as soon as we know how many this process will create.

“Once we have allocated all Woodmill High School places, those pupils who will not be able to attend the school will have the opportunity to attend Inverkeithing High School and their transition plan will be co-ordinated after the Easter break.

“The enhanced transition days for high schools are normally during June of each year, however, we will ensure that these pupils will have an opportunity to visit Inverkeithing High School immediately after the holidays. The transition will be organised in conjunction with the primary schools.”