Banner-waving parents have staged an angry protest at plans to establish a new school inside an existing Elgin primary.
Radical proposals to tackle a capacity crisis at the town’s primaries were debated during a stormy public meeting in the town yesterday.
Local authority education chiefs plan to build a new school in the south-east of Elgin – and funnel pupils destined for it to East End Primary School during construction.
But at a consultation event at Elgin Town Hall, protestors said the move would adversely affect both youngsters already at the primary and incoming children.
Frustrated members of East End’s parent council group unfurled a banner reading “East End united, not divided” as the talks opened.
Chairwoman Louise Yaxley said setting up the new school within the existing building would be a logistical nightmare, and could create friction between the two pupil groups.
Parents say splitting the school playground and making the groups share gym and canteen facilities will negatively impact their children’s school experience.
Campaigners are hoping Moray Council will shift its stance and incorporate the new pupils into East End’s school roll.
Council bosses, however, maintain that the proposal is the optimum way to prevent schools becoming overcrowded.
Corporate director of education and social care, Laurence Findlay, said housing children at East End temporarily was the option which presented the “greatest educational benefits” for children.
The town’s heritage centre has been relocated from its previous base at East End to Elgin Library, freeing up three rooms at the school.
Under the scheme, primary one pupils bound for the new primary would start lessons in the refurbished classrooms in August.
While construction is ongoing, they will be joined by incoming pupils in 2017 and 2018.
Moray Council will appoint teaching staff to oversee the youngsters, who will also move to the new school when it opens.
Senior education adviser Paul Watson said: “The alternative is splitting pupils across three or four primary schools.”
Mrs Yaxley said she was “very angry” the council appeared to be disregarding the wishes of those attached to the school.
She also voiced concerns that if building work on the new primary was delayed it could cause headaches for those at East End.
She said: “I’m not confident construction is going to be finished on time, and East End’s roll is projected to increase.
“By 2017 there will be 357 children there, and its functional capacity is 233, but Moray Council thinks it can jam more than 100 more pupils in by 2019.
“I don’t feel there are educational benefits for the children already at East End, this is all about the children going to the new school.”
Secretary of East End’s parent council, Susan Munro, added: “We feel this is a negative step, and our children will struggle.
“They will suffer from a lack of space, as the playground will be divided and the canteen and gym will have to be split.
“We think it would be much better just to incorporate these children into East End, we would welcome them as part of the existing school.”
The location of the new school to the south-east of Elgin is expected to be finalised in April.
Elgin City South councillor John Divers said: “There are a lot of opinions around this issue, and I understand where these East End parents are coming from.
“But there are a great many factors that need to be considered in dealing with something like this.”