Details of which Fife schools have been earmarked for closure or mergers are expected to be revealed today to councillors whose wards are affected.
Ahead of Tuesday’s public announcement, members representing towns and villages who face losing their local school have been called to a confidential briefing.
Indicating the wards which will be affected, it is understood that those invited are councillors for West Fife and coastal villages, Dunfermline North, Dunfermline South, Glenrothes Central and Thornton, Glenrothes West and Kinglassie, the Howe of Fife and Tay Coast and East Neuk and Landward.
The local authority announced last October it was reviewing its schools estate, with the aim of reducing the 16,500 surplus pupil places it has and spending the education budget more effectively.
More than a quarter of primary schools are operating at less than 60% capacity and some school buildings are in a poor condition or are inaccessible for disabled people.
SNP education spokesman Councillor Douglas Chapman last night voiced deep worry about the “slow drip feed of information” and “shambolic nature” of the process.
He said: “There has been a rushed consultation which presented as fact issues which were still being rechecked as the council was being advised of the closure announcement.
“If school closure announcements are going to be based on a flawed process and flawed information and in what seems to be a completely ad-hoc manner, then I am really worried for the future of education in Fife.”
Education spokesman Bryan Poole voiced disappointment that someone had leaked news of the private briefing which he said was requested by the SNP.
He said: “It’s unforgivable that the SNP is making our children’s education into a political issue. We have over 16,000 excess places and we have 19 schools rated category C (poor) that’s not good enough.”
Denying consultation had been rushed, he added: “We have already gone out and spoken to people twice on this.”
The council’s executive committee is due to consider the controversial proposals next Tuesday, April 16.
Parents at each of the region’s schools have been consulted, but remain unaware whether their school will fall under the axe.
The plans are also expected to include changes to catchment areas.