Proposals on the review are due in 2007

Stirling Council said the move was prompted by the changes taking place in Scotland's education sector, which include new class sizes requirements.

Education chiefs in the area are also increasing services because of predicted population growth.

The council has already embarked on a �100m project to build a number of new high schools in the area.

'Significant changes'

Stirling Council children's services director David Cameron said the authority had a responsibility to ensure the best possible quality of education was available to all children.

He said: "The nature of education is changing very significantly. We must make sure that we have right people and right facilities in place."

The review, expected to get under way later this year, will consider school rolls, the condition of buildings and staffing.

Stirling Council oversees almost 7,000 primary pupils across 42 schools and has about 2,000 children aged three and four receiving early years education.