HARROW'S MPs have admitted being "in a stew" and have apologised for their mistakes over the borough's high schools budget crisis at a meeting with headteachers on Friday.

Gareth Thomas (Harrow West) and Tony McNulty (Harrow East) heard what effect the current round of cuts will have on education standards if no extra money is found quickly.

Speaking on behalf of the heads' group, Bruce Goddard, head of Canons High in Canons Park, said: "We had a very productive meeting at which our two MPs were told in clear terms what the impact of the Government's underfunding of education would have for the children of Harrow.

"We told them that new money next year would be too late to avert the crisis. We have almost no reserves built into our budgets this year, and if we have staff vacancies to fill with agency staff, of if we hit a period of prolonged staff illness, we will run out of money.

"Early 2004 could see chaos in our schools. We can see it coming and we don't want to be put in a position of having to say we told you so'."

Mr McNulty MP told the heads: "We're in a stew and we've made mistakes. We have worked very hard to improve education over the last few years, only for things to slide back to how they were. The position at the moment is not what we want and we apologise."

A spokesman for the Harrow heads group said: "The Education Secretary's announcement that he will allow schools to use capital budgets to pay running costs has been welcomed, but it is only a short term measure."

The MPs and a number of heads are now to meet school minister David Milliband.

May 29, 2003 14:00