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School in May's constituency asks parents for toilet paper

The National Education Union said schools should not be ‘scrabbling around’ for basic resources

SCHOOLS should not be “scrabbling around” for basic resources, an education union said today after a school in Theresa May’s constituency had asked parents to help it buy toilet roll and pens.

St Edmund Campion Catholic Primary School in Maidenhead, Berkshire, made an Amazon “wish list” for parents so that they could help buy supplies.

The list containing 17 items, including the wish for a “never-ending supply” of toilet paper, was sent to parents on Monday and many deliveries have already been received.

 

 

It emerged after parent, Catherine del Campo, flagged it up to PM Ms May on Twitter.

She wrote: “In your constituency, @theresa_may, a school not just asking parents for extras, but basic essentials.

“As well as loo roll, I’ve sent some plasters.

“I thought about sending some to @DamianHinds too, but they didn’t have one big enough for the gaping hole in the education budget.”

The school in the Maidenhead constituency said it had lost £70,000 after the government decided to reduce the Education Services grant.

It said it put together the list after parents had asked teachers about how they could support the school.

“Whilst reduced school funding is naturally a concern, we are in the fortunate position of being able to balance our budget for the next few years,” the school said in a statement.

National Education Union (NEU) joint general secretary Dr Mary Bousted said they were not surprised that the school has resorted to setting up the list.

She said that schools which are in worse positions than St Edmund’s are having to ask parents for money to bridge the budget gaps.

Ms Bousted added: “The government urgently needs to address the £2.8 billion real-terms cuts to school funding to stop this situation escalating.”

National Association of Head Teachers general secretary Paul Whiteman said struggling to buy basics like toilet roll shows how much financial pressure schools are under and it “ought to ring serious alarm bells” for the government.

Another school in Ms May’s constituency has also asked parents for help with supplies.

Last November, the Robert Piggott Church of England primary school sent out a letter asking for a £1-a-day voluntary contribution to help pay for stationery.

It said that national changes to school funding meant they had to request voluntary donations to make up the shortfall.

A survey of NEU members earlier this year showed that one in five teachers said their school has asked parents for money to help with gaps in funding.

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