 Could other schools copy Edenham? |
A secondary school in London has sent hundreds of children home early because it says it cannot afford the staff to teach them. Edenham High School in Croydon, south London, released 720 of its 1,200 pupils after lunch.
Head teacher Jonathan Parker says the school's funding problems are so bad he can no longer afford temporary staff to cover for teachers who are off sick.
Head teachers' leaders say it is the first visible sign of the funding crisis in schools beginning to bite.
Shadow education secretary Damian Green accused the government of "incompetence" and creating a "mess".
 I feel the children are being cheated, as is the school  |
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme Mr Parker said even after making cuts the school was still �220,000 in debt.
"We had to reduce down the deficit and one of the only ways we could do it was to cut down on the number of supply teachers," he said.
Navenka Ross, 12, a pupil at the school, said: "This is stupid. I hope this stops soon.
"My end-of-year exams are coming up this week and after half-term and this is making me more worried about them."
Last year the school spent �65,000 on classroom cover for sick teachers, Mr Parker added.
He said Croydon education authority was "as appalled as I am" about the situation, saying the authority was in a "genuine critical condition".
I am not a political person ... I have to fight for my school Jonathan Parker, head teacher |
But a spokesman for the council said: "We are further disappointed that the school has not sought detailed support and financial advice from Croydon LEA before taking the decision to send children home, nor had the courtesy to formally notify the council.
"The LEA will be sending in a team to go through the school's budget, line by line."
Education Secretary Charles Clarke tried to address the funding issue last week by allowing schools to spend more than �500m set aside for building and repairs on teachers' salaries.
'Same position'
But heads have warned the move is insufficient to prevent a cash crisis.
Liberal Democrat education spokesman Phil Willis, speaking on the Today programme, said the problem was of the education secretary's own making.
HAVE YOUR SAY A good education is one of the most important things in life |
"The secretary of state is simply refusing to accept that many schools are in the same position as Croydon," he said.
He said his party had called for more funding for schools and for the formula for school funding to be reviewed. It also argued that the secretary of state could use a �1bn under spend in his own budget to increase school funding.
The pupils being sent home from Edenham High School are in the first three year groups. They will miss two classes.
Mr Parker said he would make sure that pupils in the middle of their GCSE exams - the 15 and 16 year olds - were not affected.
'Unique position'
But he estimates he may have to repeat the move once a month, depending on staff sickness.
Parents were informed of the decision last week. Mr Parker said the reaction from most has been supportive, despite their anger at the effect on their children's education.
"I am not a political person ... I have to fight for my school," he said.
The Department for Education insists the school is an exceptional case and is demanding an explanation.
It blames Croydon Council for making what it calls questionable decisions about allocating funding and claims it has held back money from schools.
At Prime Minister's Question Time, Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, called for the government to apologise.
He added: "Who do you think the parents should blame - the Labour education secretary or Labour-controlled Croydon Council?
"It is not only happening in Croydon. Up and down the country, schools have run out of money and teachers face the sack.
"It is now clear that the education secretary has utterly botched the new funding system."
But Mr Blair responded that it would be "infinitely worse" if Tories were in power and implemented 20% cuts in public service spending instead of Labour's "massive" increases.
He said: "The local education authority are visiting the school today to discuss the schools budget with it and I am not in a position, and neither are you, to comment in detail on that budget.
"The schools budget for Croydon has increased by more than double the rate of inflation and that, again, is as a result of additional investment being put into schools.
"I have accepted there are real problems with some schools this year.
"We are looking into those, but it cannot be the right answer to the schools funding issue to refuse to support the increases we are putting in and instead actually to cut the investment going into the schools."
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