A SCHOOL is at the centre of a storm after calling on parents to pay up to £700 for laptops for their children.

Families hit by the credit crunch say they are facing further financial pressure after being asked to help fund their children's education.

Parents of pupils at Arnewood School, New Milton, claim they are being pressured into buying the Toshiba laptops over a three-year period.

One mother who attended a presentation at the school said: "Basically it felt as if we were being backed into a corner. We felt if we didn't buy one our daughter would go without."

Pete Sopowski, secretary of the Southampton branch of the National Union of Teachers and a former Arnewood teacher, said: "Schools know that parents will always do the best for their children.

"If these computers are over-priced and not the best buy, this is in my view a sort of moral blackmail."

A spokesman at the NUT's regional office said parents were being asked to make a "ridiculous" commitment.

New Milton councillor Alan Rice vowed to raise the issue at next week's meeting of the school governors.

"The scheme aims to introduce children to computers at an early age and allow them to use them at home but they must be affordable to all families," he said.

Head teacher Chris Hummerstone said it was a non-profit-making scheme that would not benefit the school financially.

He stressed that the laptop initiative was not compulsory and denied that parents were being forced into buying the equipment.

Mr Hummerstone added: "The educational rationale is to encourage children to take the fullest opportunity to use the potential new technology to assist with their learning.

"This scheme is intended as a family resource, with access to information communication technology at any time - whether at home, school or on study visits.

"As a specialist college we are always looking for educational opportunities in a variety of media that can improve the learning environment."

Mr Hummerstone said parents were being asked to buy the laptops because their children would be able to take them home each evening.

He added: "Although we are leading the way in this respect locally, we have already given advice to other schools keen to offer a laptop scheme to their pupils."

Children whose parents are unwilling or unable to take part in the scheme would still be able to use school laptops. "No pupils will be disadvantaged," said Mr Hummerstone.