EVESHAM schools campaigner Helen Donovan is organising a mass rally of parents to highlight lack of funding in county school.

The 35-year-old mother of two, claims that information this week from the department for education and skills proves students in Worcestershire are getting a raw deal.

"We have been saying for a long time that Worcestershire has dropped from 17th to 32nd in the funding league for shire counties and we have been rubbished," said Mrs Donovan.

"Now we have it in writing from the minister. Each pupil in Worcestershire gets £110 a year less than a counterpart in Warwickshire and £90 less than in Gloucestershire.

"The cost of equipment is the same and teachers are paid the same so there is no justification for this."

She said that the information from Whitehall has given the campaign a major boost. "Getting public support will now be so much easier as before we could only ask people to take our word for the figures being correct. Now we have the proof on headed Dfes notepaper."

Now there are plans to stage a "Parents Voice" forum in April at which mothers, fathers and guardians will be urged to make their voices heard.

"We want as many people as possible to come together to demonstrate the strength of feeling and demand a fair deal for our children," said Mrs Donovan, who lives in St Margaret's Road and has two children at Primary School.

She said the campaign would continue to build as the next General Election got nearer.

The "Parents Voice" event will be staged at Droitwich High School on Saturday, April 16.

What do you think? Do we get enough money for education?

Write to: Journal Series, Briar Close, Evesham, Worcestershire. WR11 4JT.