A bid to boost funding at Colchester Sixth Form College will today (Tuesday) be made in Parliament.

The move to hold a special debate in the House of Commons follows revelations that the amount of cash per pupil given to the town's four sixth form providers varies by as much as 30 per cent.

Colchester MP Bob Russell was set to call on the Government to increase the amount of money given to the town's Sixth Form College.

He said his aim was to equalise the amount of money given for sixth formers at the college with that given to Colchester Royal Grammar School, Colchester County High School and Philip Morant.

Mr Russell said: "Students at Colchester Sixth Form College are funded at a lower level than those who attend sixth forms at the other three schools. There is a variation of more than 30 per cent. This cannot be fair.

"I shall be calling on the Government to raise the level of funding at the Sixth Form College to match that at the other three schools.

"There should be a level playing field for students, staff and general funding, regardless of whether it is the college or sixth forms at schools.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.