A SCHOOL has U-turned on creating separate play areas for 'rich and poor kids' after a furious backlash from parents.
Bosses at Wednesbury Oak Academy in Tipton, West Mids this morning scrapped the policy, which banned children from playing with certain equipment if their parents didn't make a £6 donation.
The school initially claimed the donation was to cover the cost of new sports equipment - with those who had not paid the voluntary fee forced to play elsewhere, according to the Birmingham Mail.
Headteacher Maria Bull had initially defended the idea, saying parents had since May last year to make the payment - with 80 out of the academy’s 450 pupils having contributed.
She claimed only a football, rugby ball, a slinky, two skipping ropes and some a tennis balls had been purchased so far.
But the scheme outraged parents who branded the scheme "no pay, no play" and hit back with a petition claiming the idea was "social and financial discrimination".
Mum-of-two Kirsty Williams, 28, blasted: “We were asked to make the payment before Christmas.
“It was a voluntary payment for sports equipment even though they had £9,000 for equipment.
“It is bullying really – they are separating the rich from the poor.”
Another parent, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I’m a parent and I found it really disgusting.
“Its discrimination against the other kids, I don’t think it is fair especially the way they treated some of the kids.
The school confirmed the policy was scrapped "with immediate effect" after outraged parents unleashed a torrent of online abuse against headteacher Maria Bull.
She said: "Parents have behaved in a highly threatening manner on Facebook, telling me 'I need a good slapping'. This is not the way to behave.
"We have systems in place where parents can come and address their concerns. I am on the verge of calling the police."
She had earlier defended the measure, claiming: “it is not like the children haven’t got other equipment on the play ground.
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“It is being run as an extra, just like we ran extra activities, we run school discos as extra activities, we run all of this as a voluntary basis.”
“The equipment is things like extra bats and balls, footballs, normal run of the mill stuff.
“I have been at the academy since 2006, we regularly bring in equipment – we are an outstanding school.”
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