A MOTHER from Stroud was “appalled” and “disgusted” that her son’s school had arranged a question and answer session with parliamentary candidates for students.

In conjunction with Stroud High School, Marling sixth form had put together a hustings with six of Stroud’s prospective MPs on the afternoon of Monday, April 20.

However Deborah Wylie was furious. Speaking before the hustings she said: “I don’t want my son brainwashed, they’re going to put mush in the pupil’s heads.

“It’s not part of my son’s national curriculum. Politics is a very personal thing.

“I’m just so angry, it’s wrong.”

Her son, Sebastian Wylie, 18, attends Marling High School and is registered to vote in the May elections.

Candidates from the Green party, The Conservatives, Ukip, My Stroud MP, the Liberal Democrats and Labour were all represented at the hustings which Deborah threatened to gate crash.

“I feel like going down there myself and heckling them”, she said.

The hustings, which is part of the student’s citizenship curriculum, allows each political candidate a three-minute speech before they answer a range of questions put forward by the students.

Headteacher of Marling High School, Stuart Wilson said: “We wanted sixth form students from Marling School and Stroud High School to have an opportunity to hear from Stroud’s political candidates.

"In the run up to an election in which many of them will be able to vote for the first time, we wanted them to be able to get answers to the questions that matter most to them."

Deborah continued: “Apparently it’s not illegal but I wish it was.

“I am not having my son sat in front of them, I think it’s dreadful, it shouldn’t go on.

“As parents we should be able to attend and we were never notified.”