California sued over crumbling schools

Pupils are being taught in "slum conditions", say campaigners

A civil rights group has filed a law suit against the state of California, accusing it of failing to provide the "bare necessities" of education.

The American Civil Liberties Union has begun a class action against the state, saying that conditions in many schools are so bad as to be considered "degrading" and "unhealthy".

The conditions are so bad that if these schools were prisons they would be shut down

Peter Eliasberg, ACLU attorney

The case against California's state education authorities, which provide for 5.8 million pupils, has been filed in San Farancisco, on behalf of 64 students from nine different schools.

Crumbling school buildings, lack of facilities, overcrowding and inadequately trained teachers are blighting the chances of too many children in disadvantaged areas, claims the civil rights group.

"The conditions are so bad that if these schools were prisons they would be shut down,'' said ACLU attorney, Peter Eliasberg.

Campaigners say that in the new century that children should be studying in state of the art surroundings - and not in schools contending with rat infestations and leaking roofs.

"These are schools that shock the conscience, schools, where students can't learn and teachers can't teach," said Mark Rosenbaum, legal director of the ACLU of Southern California.

The law suit seeks to force the state to repair schools and to ensure that each class has an appropriately trained teacher.

At present, the ACLU says there is an unacceptable gap between the low level of education offered to disadvantaged pupils - mostly among black, Hispanic and immigrant children - and the much better facilities available in the middle class suburbs.

According to the ACLU, the state's constitution requires that pupils are given educational opportunities.

The attack on education services in California follows the proposal from the state governor, Gray Davis, that teachers should be exempted from paying the state income tax.

This $3bn scheme would be supplemented by reward payments of up to $5,000 to the most effective teachers.

The extra money for education comes from this year's $12.3bn state budget surplus.