Welcome reprieve for child speech classes

education: Fife Council cancels plans to scrap specialist classes following concerns from parents

Plans to scrap specialist speech and language classes for children have been put on ice following claims pupils’ mental health could suffer.

Parents feared their children’s confidence would be knocked with the removal of the provision at Mountfleurie Primary School, in Leven, and replaced with an outreach service.

Fife Council has confirmed it no longer aims to end the classes by January and is working with parents to ensure changes made suit each youngster.

A small number of children attend the sessions run by Fife Council and NHS Fife two or three days a week, with the rest of the week spent at their local primary school.

It was proposed the specialist staff would support children in their own schools throughout the week but parents feared scarce resources spread more thinly would reduce the level of service.

Leven, Kennoway and Largo councillor Tom Adams, who backed the parents’ fight, said he was pleased by what he said was a partial victory.

He said: “If they had kept to the original timescale it would probably have shut in the summer. It would have been a huge loss, impacting on the bairns’ confidence.

“We have been reassured the education and children’s service will deliver the outreach model over time as appropriate and will continue to work with parents on proposals to ensure that any change in approach is agreed and progressed in a way that best suits each child.

“It’s not a 100% victory but it’s gone a long way to ensure there is communication with parents before decisions are taken.”

Mum Lyndsay French, of Kennoway, previously told The Courier her children had “come on in leaps and bounds” during their time in the classes, but when her son’s lessons were stopped when he went to high school “everything went downhill”.

Shelagh McLean, the council’s head of education and children’s services, said: “We’re taking a consistent approach with speech and language services across Fife.

“The decision to develop the outreach approach for children attending Mountfleurie Primary School will take longer than the original timescales.

“There’s no decision to remove the existing provision by January 2018.

“We’ll continue working with parents and pupils ensuring any change in approach is agreed and progressed in a way that best suits the needs of each child.”

The council previously insisted the change was not a spending cut but was proposed by the service as a way to better support pupils and schools.

We’ll continue working with parents and pupils ensuring any change in approach is agreed and progressed in a way that best suits the needs of each child. SHELAGH MCLEAN HEAD OF EDUCATION AND CHILDREN’S SERVICES

Picture: Steven Brown. Lyndsay French with son Kane Izatt, 13, speaking to Councillor Tom Adams earlier this year about her concerns for the future of speech classes at Mountfleurie Primary School.