A PROTEST demanding more cash for Wiltshire was taken to the Prime Minister's doorstep this week by schoolchildren.

Half a dozen primary school pupils handed in letters and a petition signed by Wiltshire's 256 headteachers demanding a fairer share of Government money.

Wiltshire is the eighth worst-funded local education authority out of 34 shire counties. The county receives £2,023 for every primary school pupil and £2,603 for every secondary school pupil.

In Oxfordshire £2,107 is spent on every primary school pupil and £2,712 on every secondary school pupil.

Bob Wolfson, the county's chief education officer, said the increase of six per cent on education spending would not match what needs to be spent in schools. "The settlement leaves Wiltshire kids worse off than kids in Hampshire and particularly kids in Surrey," he said.

Anne Orme, chairman of the Wiltshire Primary Headteachers' Association, travelled to Downing Street on Monday with the children, another teacher and two parents.

Mrs Orme, headteacher at Colerne School, said: "Every head has signed the petition which I think indicates the strength of feeling and sense of disbelief that there is this inequality of funding. How can it be justified?"

Nick Sorensen, headteacher of St Laurence School in Bradford on Avon, has not needed to encourage his staff and parents to sign the petition.

"St Laurence is one of the schools with an extremely low spending allocation and we are determined that the government should quickly change the budget formula, which is unfair, unjust and complicated," he said.

"A fairer allocation of funding to schools is essential, the penalties imposed on rural authorities should be removed as a priority."

Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate David Vigar signed the petition this week during a visit to St Laurence School with Bradford town councillor Malcolm Hewson. The school is collecting signatures of support and staff, parents and governors have been invited to sign a petition held at the reception desk.

Mr Vigar said: "Schools like St Laurence are doing a brilliant job considering the discrimination that Wiltshire suffers.

"You don't need A-level maths to work out that Wiltshire gets a raw deal.

"At St Laurence the teachers are making a little go a long way but they could do a lot more if they had decent funding."

He said the school desperately needed more money for books.

The school's campaign is supported by Devizes MP Michael Ancram and North Wiltshire MP James Gray.

Mr Ancram said: "Whitehall has an urban mentality. I don't believe the Government recognises what problems we in rural counties have.

"We have got to keep on shouting for the needs of rural areas to be recognised. If we don't we will always find ourselves at the wrong end of the equation."

Mr Gray said he would back teachers to ensure the Government reconsidered adjusting the education budget.