QUEEN Anne High says it will deliver a “wide range” of business courses to students despite concerns that its business school was going to close.

It had been feared that pupils would lose out on qualifications such as business management and administration and IT.

However, Fife Council said this week that although departments were set to merge, there would be no changes to courses on offer.

Phil Black, head of Education and Children’s Services, explained: “Business, Enterprise and Technologies are combining to form one faculty and will continue to deliver the Business and Technologies curriculum in S1-S3 and a wide range of national qualifications in the senior Phase (S4-S6), including Business and Administration at National 4/5 and Higher.”

As reported by the Press in December, S5 pupil Nicole Sloanes started a petition to help reverse budget cut proposals which could have seen the scrapping of courses including Business Management, Administration & IT, Financial Services and Travel and Tourism.

The petition attracted 1,335 signatures in its first week and Nicole branded the possible loss of the department as “ludicrous.”

Past students who are now lawyers, accountants and academics all supported the petition and credited studying these subjects as having a big hand in kick-starting their careers. 

Conservative group education spokesperson Councillor Kathleen Leslie has previously expressed her concerns at the prospect of the business school being lost.

She said she remained unconvinced by Mr Black’s assurances that course choices would be unaffected.

“A wide range of qualifications in the senior phases is questionable given that we know that the course choices form that has been issued to pupils will now only allow for the selection of one course in this phase,” she said.

“Currently pupils can select both Business and Administration in one year – the new option does not allow for that. The courses will only be taught on a Monday and Wednesday afternoon for two periods each – which is two less than is the case at the moment. 

“Additionally, we need to remember that Fife College does not have Business Education on its programme for August 2019 – this is the most recent information I received last Friday. It is absolutely astounding and shocking that there is a complete lack of transparency here. Pupils are choosing subjects based on their future career aspirations and here we are eight months after this first came to light and still no clarification.”