PARENTS grilled General Election candidates on some of the biggest education issues as part of a day of events across the county.

Youngsters also had the opportunity to put questions to a panel at an education hustings in Wesley Memorial Church in New Inn Hall Street, Oxford, on Saturday evening.

It followed an education conference at the same venue and a morning of campaigning by a pressure group in Abingdon.

National Union of Teachers Oxfordshire spokesman Gawain Little, who helped organise the events in Oxford, said they were a big success.

He said: "The number of people who turned out and the strength of feeling shows that education is a much more significant issue at this election than it has been recently.

"We ran a similar event in 2015 with more time to prepare and with a slightly bigger audience but the level of engagement and strength of feeling was greater this time.

"That is partly because the funding issue is so high profile.

"The outcome of this election will determine how much money a school will have in the coming years."

Before the election was called the government had been consulting on a new funding formula for schools.

Critics claim it could cost schools in Oxfordshire up to £30m by 2020.

Young people asked questions on testing, mental health in schools and why people with no background in education can become Education Secretary.

The panel for the hustings was made up of journalist and author Melissa Benn and parliamentary candidates Layla Moran of the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party's Larry Sanders, Marie Tidball of Labour and Conservative Suzanne Bartington.

About 70 people attended while a further 100 watched live on Facebook.

Mr Little said: "It was a successful day and we had some great questions.

"Funding was a really big issue and so was academic selection."

During Saturday morning, parents from the group Fair Funding For All Schools Oxfordshire handed out leaflets and answered queries at a stall in Market Place, Abingdon.

Helen Brockett from the group said: "We had lots of people showing support at our stall.

"About 100 people signed a petition for each candidate asking for them to pledge to fund education properly.

"Marie Tidball and Layla Moran both visited us to offer support and to emphasise how important education was to both of them."