A Peterhead parent has voiced concern over the timing of planned school rezoning measures in the north-east town.
Kevin O’Brien, a local architect, said he sympathised with what Aberdeenshire Council was trying to achieve by redrawing catchment areas, but suggested that pushing it through too fast would be an “administrative nightmare”.
Mr O’Brien revealed that he had registered his 3-year-old daughter for a place at Meethill Primary but, ultimately, had to decline the offer because of the uncertainty surrounding the zoning issues.
Now, he is concerned other parents will be in the same position if the process is hastily pushed through in time for next year’s school intake.
He explained: “We’re currently zoned for Burnhaven. So we got a pre-school place registered for Meethill. When the rezoning didn’t happen in August (2014), we felt that we should decline the place.
“My issue is the timing is all wrong. Their (the council’s) response is that there isn’t a good time.
“For all the people who are on the margins, it would just make so much more sense to defer it for another year.
“Resultantly, would like for the status quo to be maintained until they can time this correctly,” Mr O’Brien added.
But last night, Councillor Isobel Davidson, the chairwoman of the authority’s education committee, said that parents should not be concerned.
She added: “The reason that it’s being done is to try and make sure children go to the school best fitting for them. I know that some kids are walking past a school to get to another which isn’t very sensible.
“However, it’s not going to be a wholesale change. It will only affect primary one pupils who have no siblings at another school – because if they have siblings at another school, they can go to that school – and people that move into the area.
“The number of people affected is very small. No children at school at the moment will be affected.”