Parents who choose to delay the date their child starts school should be given equal access to funding for an extra year of nursery, a Fife councillor has claimed.
Conservative politician Kathleen Leslie is calling on Fife Council to change its policy to ensure all children under the age of five can have their school start date postponed if their parents wish.
Currently, those born in January and February can be automatically deferred and will receive funding to stay at nursery, but those whose birthdays fall between September and December have to be assessed.
The call came as a debate was staged at the Scottish Parliament on the Give Them Time campaign – a national movement demanding an end to the need for a supporting statement for deferral and an extra year of funding in such instances.
Backers of the movement say there is a postcode lottery surrounding the process through which parents must go.
Legally, a child does not have to start school until they are five but Ms Leslie said access to nursery funding is a lottery.
It means some primary one classes have children who are five years and eight months old, while others are a full year younger.
“There is a huge gap in equity of provision,” Ms Leslie said.
“A January or February-born child can be deferred for a year and receive nursery funding for an additional year.
“A child born from September to December cannot.”
Ms Leslie, Conservative education spokesperson on the council, is backing the national Give Them Time campaign calling for a consistent approach to funding deferred school starts across Scotland.
The issue is due to be debated at the Scottish Parliament today.
“I have been contacted by several parents around Fife who have told me of a policy which is completely lacking in consistency,” said Ms Leslie.
“Some have had to jump through endless hoops only to be told at the end of it there is no further funding and if they want to defer they can do so but they will have to pay for their nursery hours.
“Fife Council policy means assessing these children and deferral may be granted due to complex learning needs.
“The Education and Young People’s Act though, does not state any requirement for such an assessment.”
Ms Leslie will bring a motion in support of her call to a meeting of the full council on Thursday.
Fife Council declined to comment ahead of Thursday’s debate.
