The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
School involved in heraldry row
Craigie Primary must pay £1,800 or cease using its quartered crest design
Pupils at a Perth primary school have been warned they are breaking a 300-year-old law – just by wearing their uniform.
Children at Craigie Primary School have been told to stop wearing a heraldic logo on their uniform or face risking a fine in a row with the country’s Lord Lyon.
Staff at the Perth school have warned parents they could face a massive bill if they want to keep using the school’s traditional logo on its uniform.
In an urgent letter issued to all parents, the school revealed the current uniform’s badge breaches strict legal rules relating to heraldry in Scotland.
Parents have been asked if they want to stump up nearly £2,000 to continue wearing the quartered crest design or scrap it in favour of a new logo.
A survey has been issued to parents of the 200 pupils at the school to find out if they are willing to find £1,800 to keep the current design.
The potentially illegal design came to the attention of the Lord Lyon after the school tried to design a huge wall mural to demonstrate its ethos and values.
The finalised design, which featured the quartered crest badge, was sent to a specialist printer to be turned into a wall hanging for display within the school.
However, staff at the printer were aware of the Lord Lyon’s strict rules about heraldry and the school was warned it may be breaking the law.
Further investigation revealed the design did contravene the strict rules and could only be used if the school paid the compulsory £1,800 registration fee.
Head teacher Lesley Gibson, in her letter to parents, said: “We recently heard from the council design team, who are finalising our curriculum rationale, that our school logo is heraldic and cannot be used by Craigie Primary, as it is not registered with Lord Lyon.
“I asked for further clarification and have been informed that unfortunately, the enclosed shape and the four symbols within the square are classed as heraldic and need to be registered.
“To register our logo it will cost the school £1,800. If we continue to use the logo, we could be fined,” Mrs Gibson said.
“So we only have two choices: keep the logo as it is and pay the registration fee of £1,800 or decide to change the logo so that it does not require to be registered.”
One parent, who asked not to be named, said: “This has been the school badge for as long as I can remember and there’s never been an issue.”
She continued: “They should just let the kids design a new badge for the school and make something positive of it.
“Paying thousands to keep the badge would be a pointless waste of money.”
It is understood the disputed crest has been worn by pupils at the school since the 1950s.
The row with the Lord Lyon, Scotland’s legal authority on heraldic matters, is based on a 300-year-old Act of Parliament.
A spokeswoman for the Court of the Lord Lyon said: “Every school badge has to be registered if it is heraldic.
“If they are not registered the school or organisation must cease using them.”