A petition calling for more funding for colleges is halfway towards reaching the 100,000 signatures needed for the issue to be debated in Parliament.

Just 12 days after the petition was set up by students at Brockenhurst College in Hampshire, it has racked up over 50,000 signatures.

To be considered for a debate in Parliament, an e-petition needs to get 100,000 signatures.

The petition states: “We call on the government to urgently increase college funding to sustainable levels, including immediate parity with recently announced increases to schools funding. This will give all students a fair chance, give college staff fair pay and provide the high-quality skills the country needs.

“A decade of almost continuous cuts and constant reforms have led to a significant reduction in the resources available for teaching and support for sixth-formers in schools and colleges.”

Spending per student in FE and sixth-form colleges is now about 8 per cent lower than in secondary school, according to a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies published last month.