WORRIED parents at the centre of a proposed education shake-up fear decisions about their children's education are being taken out of their hands.

At a meeting on Tuesday people whose children are at Melksham Lowbourne Infants, Lowbourne Junior and St Michael's Primary Schools voiced their concerns at changes proposed by Wiltshire County Council.

The council has sent out consultation documents to parents to gauge their opinions on the infants school becoming a primary school next year and the other two schools, both of which have been placed in special measures after failing Ofsted inspections, gradually merging to become one.

A mother of two children at St Michael's, who asked not to be named, said: "Will it really make a difference what parents think because it doesn't seem like it?

"It feels like this is out of our hands and this consultation is just to keep parents happy."

The council has stressed that no decisions have yet been made and parents' opinions will be taken into account.

Stephanie Denovan, the council's assistant director for schools, told the meeting: "This is the start of consultation not the end. No decisions have been made.

"The decision may even be the status quo and no changes will be made. This is very much about listening to you, the parents. Your views are very important to this process."

Mrs Denovan told parents there is no need for three primary schools on the east side of Melksham due to a falling birth rate and that the education authority hopes to improve the standard of education in the area through the shake-up.

Under the county council's proposal, the site of either Lowbourne Junior or St Michael's would be sold to finance extension and improvements at the other two schools.

The merger would be phased, with the schools beginning to work more closely together from next year, finally becoming one school in 2008, but parents of children already at the schools fear pupils' education could suffer through the process.

Annette Walsh, parent of a child at Lowbourne Infants, said: "I don't care where the school goes as long as it is a good school but, in the meantime, it seems there will be a lot of disruption for the children.

"Those children there now will live through this but by the time it is all completed in 2008 they will be leaving."

Another meeting was due to be held last night and parents have until September 1 to respond in writing to the council's proposals.