Parents are fighting to retain specialist speech and language classes amid fears their loss could affect youngsters’ mental health.
One mother claimed her children were living proof of the positive impact the classes at Mountfleurie and Crossgates primary schools could have on confidence, and called for the classes to be retained.
Lyndsay French from Kennoway said her son Kane, 13, and daughter Krysha, 10, had suffered since their lessons were stopped.
“My reason for this fight is not just for the sake of education, it’s to protect mental health,” she said.
The service, run by Fife Council and NHS Fife, involves a small number of children who spend two or three days a week at a specialist class.
The rest of their time is spent at their own local primary school.
The plan is to retain the specialist staff to support children in their own schools throughout the week.
Fife Council’s Labour administration has insisted the move is not a budget cut but has come directly from the service.
Lyndsay said Kane and Krysha had come on in leaps and bounds during their time at the classes.
“It was amazing with Kane,” she said. “But within three months of leaving speech and language class everything went downhill.”
Kane had to leave the classes as they are only available to children until they reach primary seven. Krysha stopped going just before Christmas.
“Since she left she’s been struggling and she feels anxious all the time,” said Lyndsay.
She fears scarce resources would be spread more thinly, preventing the same  level of service
Leven councillor Tom Adams has met with a number of parents concerned by the move.
He said: “Some of them thought this was due to a budget cut. It definitely is not.
“It wasn’t on our budget last year and it isn’t on it this year. It’s a service change.”
Head of service Shelagh McLean said it had been agreed to develop an outreach approach to better supports pupils and schools.
“The children will spend more time supported in their own classes and less time out of their own school,” she said.
“The specialist staff will all remain in post and we will be ensuring they provide support in schools across Fife where there are children who would benefit.”
