A DUNFERMLINE mum has spoken of the huge upset caused by her two young daughters not being able to attend the same school in Dunfermline's Eastern Expansion (DEX).

Lorna Brocklesby hit out at the "psychological and emotional damage" resulting from the chaotic school provision policy followed by Fife Council over a period of years.

Finally the go-ahead has been given for a third primary school in the area (Carnegie) which is being built in Halbeath but will not be ready until next year.

These delays have resulted in pupils having to be bused to Inverkeithing and that is where Lorna's four-year-old daughter, Betsy, will have to go when she starts school.

Big sister, eight-year-old Minnie, is "thriving" at Duloch Primary and Betsy had been looking forward to joining her there in August but recent changes to the catchment areas have left her out in the cold, meaning the sisters will have to go to different schools.

Mrs Brocklesby, of Fieldfare View, appealed against the decision preventing Betsy from going to Duloch but it was rejected along with that from five other families.

MP Thomas Docherty has called for the council to show more compassion and remember the "human face" behind the cases it deals with.

Mrs Brocklesby has written to head of education Ken Greer, saying, "Although my family and I are just a statistic to you and your department, I feel I have to write to let you know the devastation Fife Council has brought on my family since September 2009.

"Our children are being forced to go to different schools because of something that is not their fault yet we have never received an apology nor have we ever had anyone come and explain to our children why this is happening to them.

"Worst of all is that everyone we have contacted about this turns their back and blames other people.

"So the lesson that my family have learned from all of this is that if you are a good, law-abiding family that works hard, pays for everything, attends school every day and arrives on time you get punished. Well done Fife Council.

"My daughters, Minnie and Betsy, will never experience going to primary school together because of your department.

"We will never have a school photo of our children together.

"The uniforms of Minnie's that Betsy was so looking forward to wearing (and saving us some money) are being given away and double the expense is being spent on two separate uniforms.

"Mr Greer, we are not a rich family and cannot afford to take this to court so unfortunately we have to 'put up and shut up'.

"I cannot reiterate enough how much psychological and emotional damage this whole process has put on us as a family and we also wish to receive an explanation as to why there was no transitional period of losing sibling priority, especially when we don't even have the choice of sending both our children to Carnegie this year.

"We as a family await your reply and hope that it can give us some satisfaction in allowing us all to move on and deal with this awful situation we are being forced into." Mr Docherty, who met Mr Greer recently, said, "I think Fife Council should put a human face on these cases.

"How is a parent supposed to explain to their young child why they can't go to school with their brother or sister?" Fife Council's school provision mishaps in DEX saw them sell off land earmarked for a third primary in DEX because it was not thought it would be required, then later realised it was and announced it would be built on St Columba's High School playing fields.

This caused an outcry among the pupils and parents there and the council was forced to scrap the plans and go back to the drawing board.

Fife Council education officer Alan Watson said, "We are sorry for the distress that this situation has caused Mr and Mrs Brocklesby.

"Kenneth Greer recently wrote to the parents to explain why an interim arrangement was not possible before the opening of the new Carnegie School building, whereby siblings in the former Duloch catchment could be prioritised.

"There are insufficient places in Duloch School to accommodate additional children from outwith the catchment area.

"We understand and regret the impact of change of catchment areas has on families.

"However, any other appraoch would have impacted negatively on other families in the area."