CHILDREN are going to school hungry, cold and wearing dirty clothes because their parents are struggling for money, a teachers union has warned.

Members of the NASUWT, which represents thousands of teachers North Yorkshire and the North East, have reported that some children are turning up for lessons with mouldy food in their lunchboxes and holes in their uniforms.

A survey of almost 4,000 NASUWT members found that many teachers are giving pupils money out of their own pocket, providing food and lending clothes to help them out.

The president of the NASUWT, Geoff Branner, said that schools alone cannot solve the problems of poverty, poor housing, neglect and abuse.

In a speech at NASUWT's annual conference in Birmingham, Mr Branner said: “Public education is not just about developing an individual’s capacity to earn, it has a moral objective as well - to tackle inequality.

But he added: “Whether education alone can overcome the malign effects of poverty, poor housing, neglect and abuse in all its forms is questionable.”

The poll of NASUWT teachers revealed stories of pupils hugging radiators to keep warm and getting upset when they lose basic items such as pencils and rubbers because they are fearful of the cost of replacing them.