Parents of children at a Fife school have demanded action after a fire alarm was set off deliberately to disrupt pupils’ vital exam preparations.
Police were called to Queen Anne High School in Dunfermline after the alarm was activated by a teenager on one of the most important days of the year for dozens of SQA candidates.
It is understood the alarm went off in between pupils sitting English exam papers, but the interruption has incensed many mums and dads of youngsters who have been focused on the exams for many weeks now.
The incident comes just days after several senior pupils were sent home for repeatedly setting off the fire alarm as part of muck-up day celebrations.
Students taking Advanced Higher, Higher and National 5 Higher exams were allowed back into the building after the fire brigade responded.
Ruth McFarlane, Queen Anne High School rector, told The Courier: “We take this matter extremely seriously and acted quickly to identify the pupil who set the fire alarm off.
“The event happened in between exam papers so there was no disruption to the exams themselves.
“The fire brigade responded as per protocol.
“Bogus alarm calls are a criminal offence and the police have been contacted as part of our investigation.”
A spokesperson for Police Scotland said they had been called to the school at 3.20pm and had spoken to the person thought to be responsible.
However, it is unclear what action – if any – will be taken against the perpetrator.
The Courier has been contacted by the mother of a pupil taking the English exam who called on those behind the high jinks to be dealt with appropriately.
“Today is the day for all Advanced Higher, Higher English and National 5 English being sat across the nation, yet someone in Queen Anne High has selfishly deliberately set off the fire alarm again – just under a week after the fire alarm was set off on four occasions last Friday,” the angry mother, who did not wish to be named, commented.
“I hope they get who did this as they have just interrupted the whole of the fourth year sitting their National 5 English this afternoon, adding even more stress to an already stressful situation.
“These people must be charged by the police as yet again they have the fire service rushing to get to the school when it is a hoax, and yet again if there is another emergency anywhere else in Fife right now the fire personnel will be hindered to reach a genuine rescue.”
The woman added that anyone setting off fire alarms deliberately should be held accountable by law and named and shamed.
“Angry isn’t even close to how I feel right now and I doubt I’ll be the only one feeling this way once they find out.”
