A Government minister has turned his back on a local newspaper's attempts to hand over an important dossier showing the extent of the funding crisis facing Norfolk's schools.

The Eastern Daily Press has told how education secretary Charles Clarke snubbed the paper by refusing to acknowledge documents containing case studies and comments from dozens of schools.

The paper's London political editor Chris Fisher spoke to the education secretary, who is also MP for Norwich South, at the House of Commons and asked him to comment on the dossier.

But the MP walked away saying he had nothing to say - a sentiment later reiterated by his office when approached by the paper.

The dossier was put together by the paper after reporters contacted more than 60 schools to find out how the funding shortfall is affecting them.

They found some head teachers have been forced to lay off teaching staff, scrap extra curricular activities and raid their repair budgets, with others increasing class sizes and scrapping plans to buy new equipment.

The newspaper slammed the MP for refusing to even glance at the dossier, which shows the true nature of the funding problems.

In an editorial comment, it said: "For some months now, head teachers have faced the anxiety of trying tobalance their budgets in spite of the drain of higher pension and National Insurance costs, pay rises and inflation.

"Now they can say how they have balanced the books, how many jobs have gone, where cuts have been made.

"What would have been the harm for Mr Clarke in looking at their comments?

"We don't expect our political leaders to bend and twist with every change of public opinion.

"Indeed, policy-making by focus group is no substitute for an MP listening to people while out and about in their constituency or on the election stump.

"But we do want them to listen."

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