STAFF and parent governors from Meavy Primary School were joined by West Devon and Torridge MP Geoffrey Cox last week.
Parents and pupils have decided to save money by carrying out a bit of 'do-it-yourself' on the school buildings during the holidays.
Mr Cox recently met primary school heads and governors from schools in West Devon to listen to their growing concerns about school funding in the county.
He heard about the self-help efforts and agreed to wield a paint brush to lend a hand — and bring attention to the damaging cuts and compromises local schools are being forced to make at the expense of local schoolchildren.
'I very much enjoyed meeting the staff, governors and pupils of Meavy School,' said Mr Cox.
'However, our labours illustrated a very serious point — Devon's schoolchildren receive a massive £359 per pupil less in education provision than the national average.
'Local schools should not be forced into DIY to make ends meet, and many head teachers and governors have told me that budgetary restrictions are getting to the stage where they are starting to affect the quality of the education they provide.
'It is vital that the Government realise that this yawning and inequitable gulf in education funding cannot continue.'