An angry mom has slammed a controversial move to ban parents from attending their children’s kindergarten graduation.

Normally, students who leave elementary school receive a special scroll and their new school tie during ceremonies.

Parents were able to attend the events last June – after the lockdown was eased – but this year they were banned.

Proposals to have the same ceremony in nursery play areas, with social distancing in place, were rejected.

Mother of four Kirsten Stoddart, 35, whose son Harris attends Moorpark nursery in Renfrew, was told of the ban in a letter from Renfrewshire council.

The systems analyst said: ‘The pubs and shops are open and people have been informed that they can go to Glasgow Green to look at the euros, but we cannot stand in front of a school for five minutes and take pictures. of our children.

“It is not true.”

Harris was due to graduate later this month before starting at Kirklandneuk Primary, also in Renfrew, in August.

The children also received graduation dresses that they can wear during the ceremony.

Kirsten added, “Harris has been at Moorpark for three years and it has been a big part of his life.

“We can’t fault the nursery at all because it has been great with us.

“The move is due to Scottish Government guidelines which prohibit parents from attending school events such as awards shows and sports days.

“As a result, the Renfrewshire Council has imposed a blanket ban on all graduation events at nurseries.

“I asked them to reconsider but they refused.”

Kirsten says she dreads having to tell her son that she won’t be with him on his big day.

She added: “These are defining moments for our children.

“I have attended all kindergarten events and nurseries since he started. Harris never looked and never saw his mother.

Kirsten, who also has one-year-old twins and a seven-year-old son, is supporting a Change.org campaign calling on boards to review the ban on nursery graduation.

Within days of its launch last week, more than 3,000 people had signed up.

Kirsten said: “We cannot understand why the graduation ceremonies could have taken place last year at the height of the pandemic, but not now when most people have been vaccinated.

“It’s been a tough year for Harris and the kids his age because they’ve missed so much already. We forget that children his age have made all the same sacrifices as adults but that their lives have not yet returned to normal. ”

A council spokesperson said: “All of our nurseries and classes will have events to mark children who have graduated from primary school.

“However, current Scottish government guidelines mean parents will not be able to attend these events.”