IT IS great that parents can choose their favourite schools but the city council’s admissions team is given a huge headache trying to keep everyone happy.

Today’s admissions results paints a picture of families zigzagging around the city and crossing paths during rush hour as they drive their children to school. Or, for many of the older ones at least, they are on the bus or walking and cycling.

Parents want to have choice and it is only fair youngsters from many backgrounds get a chance to apply for the most popular schools, like Dorothy Stringer.

But these more popular schools simply cannot fit in all those who want to go there. So, although choice is great, it has resulted in disappointment for many. And do we really want children travelling a distance to school?

The proposed changes to admissions being looked at on Monday will hopefully make a difference.

What we really need is an excellent standard of schools across the board. If we can achieve that then the rush to move to more expensive areas will dissipate.

The admissions process will certainly become less of a headache for parents and council officers too. It may be a bit of a fantasy, but if we can achieve it then pupils will not have to travel so far.

The drive towards academies and free schools will hopefully raise standards. It has to, because we are stuck with that policy for now. Brighton (BACA) and Portslade Aldridge Community Academies (PACA) could be left almost half empty next time round.

But they are hugely confident their popularity is growing, so grounds for optimism there. The University of Brighton’s free school will be a game changer for the city too.