The debate over whether children at Bell Baxter High School should be taught in 'temporary' hutted accommodation raised its head at a meeting of the north east Fife area committee.

The standard of accommodation has been criticised in the past, with one unnamed teacher stating that the huts were unfit for use.

While giving a report on the performance of the area's secondary schools to the committee, education officer John McLaughlin was challenged over whether the huts were in a good enough state for children and staff to spend time in.

Cupar councillor Bryan Poole, a former member of the school board, asked if Mr McLaughlin thought the huts were of a high enough standard given that they were considered to be in such a bad state that they couldn't be moved ito make way for the schools new all-weather pitch.

Stating that the parent council had expressed concern about the state of the huts on the school website recently, Councillor Poole asked if Fife Council's education service really thought that facilities were in a safe and satisfactory condition.

In response, Mr McLaughlin said health and safety issues had been addressed and if there were any doubts the children would not be in them.

He said the condition of the huts was judged to be "adequate".

Speaking to the Fife Herald this week, Councillor Poole said he felt that parents in Cupar had been let down by the fact the council had in its capital budget proposals in June, decided to defer replacement of the ageing huts.

He said: "Adequate doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement to me.

"Indeed, if during a school inspection a school was described as 'adequate' the unwritten message would be 'This school needs sorting out'.

"Perhaps that's the code that the education official was using at the north east Fife area committee — the huts at Bell Baxter are past their sell-by date and need sorted.

"What cannot be doubted is that the Fife Council administration reduced the budget as recommended by education officials for hut replacement in the current budget and thus if the huts at Bell Baxter are indeed 'past their sell-by date', then it is for the administration to explain to the pupils, parents and teachers why they reduced the budget."

Councillor Poole added that he intends to raise the issue at the next meeting of Fife Council.