PUPILS, parents and politicians are furious as schools consider making Fridays a half day because they cannot afford to stay open.

Campaigners urged the department for education to think about the “disruption” and “incredibly harmful impact on learning” this change could cause.

Queen’s Park Primary School pupil Frasier Cox, 11, said: “It’s unacceptable. Schools provide learning, but also support for people like me who have Asperger syndrome.

“By missing the Friday afternoons we could miss out on support and learning which could be really important later in life.”

Fellow pupil Anya Laycock, 10, said: “It’s unfair. One of our human rights is education, we learned about that a few days ago.

“I would like the schools to have more money so they would not have to close on Fridays.”

Campaigners from education-activist group Save Our Schools gathered at Westminster and schools across the country for the GiveMe5 campaign, protesting against the possibility of a Friday lunchtime finish.

Brighton Kemptown Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle joined members of the group at Queen’s Park Primary School in Brighton.

He said: “This school is not considering the early finish, I don’t think, but some schools I know across the city and the country are thinking about it and I think that is appalling. We are sacrificing children’s education here.

“If a parent was deciding to take their child out of school on Friday afternoons for the next year they would be fined.

“But when the Government fails to open up schools there is no fine.

“Time is precious in schools, what could have been an afternoon of drama or arts will get scrapped.”

Brighton Pavilion Green MP Caroline Lucas also sent a message to campaigners on the Save Our Schools UK Twitter page.

She said: “Schools budgets have been cut by eight per cent between 2010 and 2018. Now it’s the case that the Government can’t even provide the most basic requirement which is schooling five days a week.

“That’s an absolute scandal. enough is enough and it’s got to stop.”

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: “Flexibility over the length of the school week is not new – schools have long had the ability to structure the school week as they wish, and we trust that headteachers will do this in a sensible manner.

“All maintained schools are required to educate pupils for at least 380 sessions each school year.

“In the event that a school decides to make changes to its school day or week, it is expected that the school will act reasonably when making such decisions; giving parents notice and considering the impact on those affected, including pupils, teachers, and parents’ work commitments and childcare options.”