“The letter [we received] was ‘opt out’ implying the schools involved have taken a political stance alongside Citizens UK.
“The letter was sent home on October 17 and the filming took place the next day meaning that the parents were only given 18 hours to respond, and by not returning the forms parents were giving consent [to the schools] –that’s what I didn’t agree with.
“When the schools become academies the more distant they will become from Tendring District Council and Essex County Council.
“Parents have informed me that their children have been used in a political campaign. The schools should have got full permission from all of the parents first – this is what people are saying.”
The children were as young as primary school age and critics say they've been "brainwashed"
Stephanie Neill, principle of Clacton Coastal Academy, a school involved, said the project was run by a youth leadership at the school.
She added: “They came up with an idea to create a media campaign that could be copied from school to school.
“The group delivered an assembly at South Tendring primary schools to help the pupils think about how there were children just like them in Calais but children who had lost everything.
“The pupils involved in making a video to ‘stand up’ for these children.
“This supported our curriculum as it taught the pupils about the British values and showing mutual respect and tolerance. It was about showing compassion and empathy and would therefore be no different to supporting something like Comic Relief who are brining relief to children in need across the world.
“This was about our children showing compassion for other children who have much less than them.”
This comes after weeks of scrutiny following the arrival of the first children on British shores from the Calais migrant camp that has now been evicted and dismantled.
Cash-strapped councils are being forced to pay out for care, immunisations, health checks, clothes and activities coming over from Calais, while closing libraries, slashing creche hours and scrambling to save money after massive Conservative cuts.
A report by the Association of Directors of Children’s services has revealed councils are being forced to spend out on supporting teens after the Government’s decision to take on more children from Calais.
According to the report the number of lone child migrants in England has more than doubled from 2,050 in March 2014 to 4,210 in March 2016.
Express.co.uk has contacted the schools involved in the video campaign for comment.
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