EXCLUSIVE

THEY often stand accused of a life of privilege, but it was revealed yesterday that pupils at Scotland's top fee-paying schools don't have a ball.

Independent schools are at war with a promoter organising what he describes as Scotland's first high society ball for ''wealthy, posh teenagers attending institutions where the upper classes send their children''.

One head teacher warned that the entrepreneur's biggest blunder of all was to ''ignore our concerns about the event - then go on to try and sell direct to the pupils''.

Promoter Nadim Ali was unrepentant, and predicted at least 600 of 650 tickets would be sold before next month's Illusion Ball, exclusive to fee-paying pupils aged 13 to 17.

Mrs Gillian Burt, head of Craigholme, Glasgow, told yesterday of her upset and anger over developments since Mr Ali first sought permission to distribute promotional leaflets to pupils within schools.

She has now contacted all parents, recommending they do not allow their offspring to attend. She has also protested in writing to Mr Ali over literature being distributed near the schools after permission was refused.

His original request was rejected by Craigholme because it ''could not possibly endorse a venture over which we had no control''.

Mrs Burt also contacted other Glasgow independent schools to appraise them of her action - and all agreed to adopt the same stance because they would ''end up with egg on faces'' should anything go wrong at the #15-a-head ball.

Their views were underlined by Hutchesons' rector David Ward, who told Mr Ali: ''Anything we endorse or promote has to be something we are in control of....

''The problem is that whatever disclaimers we use, if facilitating a sale of tickets to pupils, parents automatically assume we are fully endorsing it, and obviously this is something we cannot do.''

Similar responses from 14 fee-paying schools throughout the West of Scotland led heads to believe the matter was closed.

However, Mrs Burt discovered the promoter had apparently ignored them, with a 13-year-old Craigholme girl found in possession of a leaflet, and the head of Glasgow Academy finding leaflets distributed near his school.

By then, the ball's name had even changed, from The Mirage to The Illusion, but Mr Ali remained adamant he would run a ball for fee-paying pupils to socialise with like-minded individuals.

Mrs Burt has now declared Craigholme pupils will not be permitted to attend, and added yesterday: ''I will consider it a serious matter if attempts to sell tickets to my pupils take place.''

In publicity material, Mr Ali, proprietor of Flexi Promotions, confirms he wants to ''exploit'' a niche market, described as ''the children of the elite...institutions where the upper classes send their children.''

Yesterday, he argued that schools had been contacted about the ball and that leaflet distribution was not a crime.

He said of the schools' response: ''I expected nothing different...I appreciate they exist to do their primary function, which is to educate the children.''

Mr Ali, 26, Paisley-born, is a locum pharmacist. He has set up Flexi Promotions, operating from his Newton Mearns home.

He plans similar events in Edinburgh and elsewhere in Scotland, but said it was unlikely his firm would emulate that of Mr Justin Etzim, a millionaire at 23 who organises numerous balls in England: ''There are more independent schools in the south, with mega-rich pupils.''

Mr Ali said the ball ''sold to parents'' by guaranteeing constant supervision and no drugs and alcohol.

We could not possibly endorse a venture over which we had no control

Craigholme head

Mrs Gillian Burt

I expected

nothing

different . . .

Promoter

Mr Nadim Ali