A TEACHER has claimed school funding in York is now so poor that even gluesticks are having to be rationed.

Bob Webb spoke out at a City of York Council meeting, which later agreed the authority should write to the Education Secretary to review the local authority’s poor education finances.

The Archbishop Holgate CE School teacher said York was going to become the worst funded local authority in the country under a new formula and, having been teaching since 2009, he had seen funding worsen every year.

He said: “One thing that all teachers will recognise sadly is the rationing of glue sticks...The 21st century and we have to ration gluesticks because there isn’t enough money for education.” Lack of funding also meant a narrowing of the curriculum and less support staff. The school has declined to comment on his views, which were made as a private citizen.

Councillors of most parties backed a call by Lib Dem Ashley Mason for the authority to write to Education Secretary Justine Greening to press for a review of York’s position under the formula, with Conservative members abstaining.

Cllr Mason said the new funding formula went some way towards helping York but not far enough.

Labour councillor Jonny Crawshaw said teachers were reaching the end of their tether, parents were increasingly being asked to make contributions towards basic materials and there was a mental health crisis among young people, without resources to intervene before problems became acute.

But Cllr Stuart Rawlings, the Conservative executive member for education, said York would be getting the second highest increase in funding and, while it would be the lowest funded authority next year, it would then start to go up the league table.