THESE children are striking a Dickensian pose, but the reality of the woeful funding of Swindon's schools is far from fictional.

Ellen McGlashan, eight, and Louise Greenough, seven, are relying on the town's crumbling education system to provide them with the skills and confidence so they have a chance of a full and happy life.

They attend the highly-praised Drove Primary School, but will soon move on to Churchfields School, which has been in special measures for nearly two years and recently witnessed a massive decline in its GCSE results.

Without immediate and sustained help from central government in the form of significant injections of cash into the town, their opportunities are likely to be blighted.

Today we take their case and that of all the other 30,000 pupils in Swin-don to Education Secretary Estelle Morris in a long-awaited and exclusive interview.

We ask why the current funding system leaves Swindon's schools with about £6.5 million less than those in the average unitary authority.

Despite the town's profound problems recently worsened by Swindon Council's dread-ful Ofsted report that gap is expected to widen by £3 million next year. And Ms Morris has now confirmed the council will see no extra money to help offset the damage that will cause.

Ellen and Louise appealed to Ms Morris to level up the playing field.

Ellen, from York Road, said: "I'm a bit concerned because I don't think it's fair. Each school should get the same amount of money so they can do the same things."

Her mum Fay, a governor at Drove, said: "I don't understand the funding system at all. It all comes from central government and all schools have to provide the same standard of education, so why are different regions given different amounts?"

The funding issue has long been an emotive issue in Swindon, with the town consistently underfunded since it took on the education service from Wiltshire County Council in 1997.

It suffers due to the unfair and discriminatory nature of the Standard Spending Assessment, which is an outdated system that allocates money to local authorities based on geographical and social factors.

The Government has admitted that it must be changed, but will not do so until 2003, and even then it may still leave Swindon bottom of the pile.

In the meantime, Swindon headteachers have insisted standards will plummet unless something is done. This year's GCSE results were again much lower than the national average.

The Advertiser has campaigned all year for extra cash to be made available for next year, but the Government appears determined not to listen.