AN ENVIRONMENTAL campaigner has said it is “unbelievable” that fewer than half of the city’s schools are using a government scheme to provide free period products.

Only 32 of the 67 state-funded schools in Brighton and Hove ordered free period products for their pupils between January 2020, when the scheme was introduced, and the end of last year.

Ella Daish, who started the End Period Plastic campaign, said the figures from the Department of Education are concerning socially and environmentally.

%image('12057252', type="article-full", alt="Ella, who lives in Brighton, said it the figures are \"unbelievable\" ")

She said: “No one should miss out on their education because they haven’t got access to these essential products, which is why signing up is crucial.

“I strongly urge schools to sign up and when ordered to choose the eco-friendly options available so that we can tackle period poverty and protect the environment simultaneously.”

The Red Box Project, which campaigned for the scheme to be introduced, said all schools should be taking part to support the one in 10 young people experiencing period poverty.

Products they can order include period pads and tampons, and environmentally friendly alternatives such as period cups and reusable pads.

They are available to all pupils who need them, including those who have forgotten products, start their period unexpectedly, or cannot afford them.

The figures show £17,045 was spent in total to provide the products in Brighton and Hove.

Each participating school spent on average £530, around 70% of the £754 spend cap.

A report published by the Department of Education said that schools had been less likely to order period products while pupils were learning from home during the pandemic.

Across England, the uptake of the scheme has been around 41% in primary schools, and 76% across secondary schools.

Clegg Bamber, co-founder of The Red Box Project, said: "Whilst primary schools won't have as many pupils menstruating as secondary schools will, there will still be some pupils who will be menstruating and should rightly have access to the period products they need at school.

"Starting your period at any age can be a distressing time, even more so when you are at school, but by having the period products there available to students who need them it takes away some of the pressure and angst of wondering where they are going to be able to find a suitable period product from.”

A Department for Education said no pupil should ever have to miss school because of their period.

A spokesman said: “More than three-quarters of state secondary schools and colleges in England accessed period products using the government’s scheme during its first year.

“The scheme remained in operation during partial school and college closures, and now that they have returned, we expect uptake of the scheme to return to pre-lockdown levels.”