After a school made the decision to keep children from playing on playground equipment if their parents had not paid for it, creating ‘poor’ and ‘rich’ zones on the playground, the subsequent public outcry has forced them to call an immediate end to the ill-judged scheme.
The Mirror reported yesterday that a parent council at Wednesbury Academy in the West Midlands had asked parents for a voluntary donation of £6 per child so they could buy equipment for the school’s playground.
Well within their rights, some parents chose not pay the voluntary contribution.
The decision was then made by the school that children whose parents did not pay would have to play in another area of the playground.
Headteacher claims the school ‘doesn’t have any’ parents who cannot afford it
Understandably, some parents were outraged. However, headteacher Maria Bull appeared to defend the decision, explaining that a ‘couple of times a week’ a child whose parents had contributed could invite a friend to come and play with the toys.
Bizarrely, she also claimed that the school ‘didn’t have’ any parents who could not afford the £6 cost. How she knows the ins and outs of the 450 pupil’s parents’ financial situation is not yet clear.
“We are running this as a lunchtime activity club. I wouldn’t ask parents to pay for another child’s after school club.”
Segregation
The decision led to some children being segregated from others on the school playground, creating what could be perceived as ‘rich’ and ‘poor’ zones.
All should play or none at all
“We have listened to the concerns raised and will be ending the scheme with immediate effect. We are a school that believes in putting our children at the heart of everything we do.”
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