By Charlene Kelly

TWO OF Fife’s smallest and most historic primary schools will cease to operate from July after a narrow majority vote at yesterday’s children’s services committee.

Dunshalt and Smithygreen were deemed to be “no longer viable” by Fife Council’s head of education, Ken Greer, with the former having seven pupils on its roll and the latter only three.

Mr Greer said a further roll decline was projected for both schools and listed a number of reasons it was felt pupils would benefit from transferring to bigger schools within their catchment areas.

“The optimum range of size of primary schools has been agreed as 52 pupils to 444 pupils.

“It is recognised that small primary schools that fall below this range face additional challenges in providing children with an appropriate range of learning and social opportunities.

“Group learning activities are more problematic when these comprise pupils of widely varying ages and there is a lack of opportunity to vary the composition of such groups for pupil work in smaller schools.”

A report illustrated that the transferral of Smithygreen pupils to Craigrothie would generate annual revenue savings of £101,000 while transferring Dunshalt pupils to Auchtermuchty would save the local authority £92,000 a year.

The subject was hotly debated by councillors on the committee.

Ewen Jardine, who has consistently backed enraged parents and residents in their fight to keep Dunshalt open, said that projections by officials “did not stand up to scrutiny” after a public consultation meeting which took place in the village hall in November.

He made the point that 80 people turned up to the meeting and a petition to save the school was signed by more than 400 people.

“Every single one supported keeping a thriving, cost- effective school in Dunshalt that would continue to provide an excellent educational start for the local children,” he said.

Instead of closing Dunshalt, Mr Jardine said he would like to see an extension of the school’s operations to cover the full primary spectrum instead of the existing limited P1-4 set-up.

“Retention of a school with the continuation of education to primary 7 and a before-and-after school club would answer all the problems of numbers, continuity and access,” he said.

Fife Council spokeswoman for school children Kay Morrison said she understood it was an emotional issue but it was up to members to put the educational and social needs of youngsters first and keeping the schools open was not a viable option.

Mrs Morrison’s motion to close the schools was seconded by Harry Blythe.

An amendment to keep Dunshalt open to cover the full primary spectrum was put forward by Joe Rosiejak, and seconded by Elizabeth Riches.

Mrs Morrison’s motion was granted with 11 votes to nine.

It is expected pupils from the two schools will transfer to their new ones from August. pupils from Smithygreen will transfer to Craigrothie Primary while pupils from Dunshalt will be moved to Auchtermuchty Primary School.