The all-out strike will begin on 1 March

Unison has confirmed that the only exception will be for those children deemed to be at risk.

Phil Cullis, whose son Alex attends special school, said he was deeply saddened by the news.

The nurses have been involved in one and two-day walkouts over 10 months as part of their campaign over pay.

They earn about �13,000 a year, but want an increase of �4,000 to reflect the extra duties they say they have had to undertake.

Local government body Cosla has offered a new grading system which would enable fully qualified nurses to earn �18,000. But Unison said the offer was unacceptable.

The union confirmed on Tuesday that indefinite strike action would start at the beginning of March, but there would be no special case made for special needs pupils.

We cannot be taken for granted any longer. This is the only way that this dispute is likely to be resolved Carol Ball Unison

Mr Cullis said: "I am profoundly saddened by this decision. This industrial action is no doubt going to carry on beyond the academic year.

"That means that Alex will not receive the education he is entitled to - it is just grossly unfair.

"Me and my wife will just have to muddle on through this."

Since the industrial action began, council-run nurseries have been affected, along with special schools.

Alex, a seven-year-old who suffers from epileptic fits and has severe learning difficulties, has already lost out on almost three weeks of schooling because of the strike.

The youngster attends Prospect Bank School in Edinburgh where a teacher, classroom assistant and nursery nurse are needed for each class.

'No alternative'

A spokesman for Unison said during the indefinite action only children deemed to be at risk would be allowed care under its "emergency exemptions" policy.

But Scottish Conservative Party leader, David McLetchie, said he was concerned what impact an indefinite strike would have on the well-being of children with special educational needs.

He said: "When schools janitors went on strike in 2001, such schools were given an exemption from industrial action. That was the right thing to do.

"When our nursery nurses walked out on a series of one day strikes recently, no such concession was given even although many classes in schools for children with special educational needs rely on them.

"The prospect of indefinite industrial action closing schools which provide essential care and support to some of our most vulnerable children is deeply worrying to parents across the country.

David McLetchie believes special needs pupils should be made exempt

"I repeat my call for nursery nurses to exempt special needs schools and classes from this all-out strike action for the sake of the children and their parents."

And the president of Cosla, Pat Watters, said the decision by Unison not to exempt special needs children was "unforgivable".

He added: "I am surprised and disappointed at their stance in relation to the special needs children.

"It is disappointing that they could not exempt such a vulnerable group and I am sure the parents of the children will find the unions actions unforgivable."

The pay dispute escalated following a ballot of 6,000 nurses in which a majority voted for "all-out strike".

Speaking after the announcement, Carol Ball, chair of Unison's nursery nurses working party, said "There has been a year of industrial action of various types, which has disrupted nursery education across Scotland.

"Faced with the refusal of Cosla to negotiate with nursery nurses' representatives about the level of their Scottish grade, nursery nurses reluctantly feel that they have no alternative but to take all-out strike.

"It is disgraceful that employers still refuse to negotiate and would rather disrupt children's education and parent's working lives than pay Scottish nursery nurses for the job they do.

"But we cannot be taken for granted any longer. This is the only way that this dispute is likely to be resolved."