Outrage as school accused of making sports equipment only available to 'rich kids'

Furious parents have launched a petition against a school that they claim has separated children in the playground based on whose parents have paid a donation for new sports equipment.

Parents of children at Wednesbury Oak Academy in the West Midlands say the school has introduced a $10-a-year voluntary charge for children to use new sports equipment bought for use at lunchtime.

But they say a “no pay, no play” policy has led to children being split in the playground into those whose parents can afford and those who can’t.

Principal Maria Bull said the parent's council last year decided to buy the new sports equipment that consisted of a football, a rugby ball, a slinky, two skipping ropes and some tennis balls.

She said the voluntary charge amounted to about 25 cents per week and all parents could afford the fee. The school opted to make the equipment available to a lunchtime club, for those that had paid the fee.

But excluding children whose parents had not paid the fee infuriated some parents

The petition has already drawn more than 800 signatures calling for the scheme to be discontinued so all children can play together.

The parent council said they had previously voiced concerns at the idea that “if they don’t pay, they can’t play”. Parents said the scheme was rolled out on January 3.

“This has caused outright disgust from children, parents, grandparents, staff and such like,” the petition reads.

“The parents that have paid and parents that haven’t are totally against the separation of the children as this can cause upset, bullying and social exclusion amongst other things.

“We therefore request the 'scheme' to be discontinued as it’s just not something that any of us wish to be associated with.

“Please sign our petition so that ALL OUR CHILDREN at Wednsbury Oak Academy can play together. All should play or none at all.”

The school’s head teacher Maria Bull defended the move and said she was “on the verge of calling the police” over threats she had received from angry parents.

"Parents have behaved in a highly threatening manner on Facebook, telling me 'I need a good slapping,” she told the Mirror.

"This is not the way to behave… we have systems in place where parents can come and address their concerns.”