SUFFOLK College students have today spoken at their outrage after the course they were hoping to study was suddenly cancelled. Ben Jarmin, William Westgarth, Steve Pasters and Colin Lord, are angry A-level physics has been dropped from the college curriculum without warning, they say.

SUFFOLK College students have today spoken at their outrage after the course they were hoping to study was suddenly cancelled.

Ben Jarmin, William Westgarth, Steve Pasters and Colin Lord, are angry A-level physics has been dropped from the college curriculum without warning, they say.

They are four of the 17 students who were told just before completing their first year AS-level course that they would not be able to go back in September to complete the second year and get the A-level.

Ben, 17, of Moffat Close Ipswich, is studying maths, physics and chemistry and hopes to go to the University of East Anglia (UEA) to study meteorology and oceanography.

He added: “Why cancel this in the first place? We are on our AS-level course but this means we cannot continue to do A-level. There are about 17 of us that need A-level physics to get into university. The college should have waited for us to finish the course.”

Bosses at the college are in discussions with what is thought to be an Ipswich high school to enable students to finish their studies.

Ben added: “I don't want to go to school. I went to college because I wanted to go to a college. I think the college should have spoken to us before they made their decision.”

William Westgarth, 16, of Avondale Road, fears his hopes of studying maths at the University of Cambridge maybe dashed by the decision. He said: “I want to go to Cambridge or Durham. We were told about the course being pulled just three days before our first AS-level exam. I was shocked and I couldn't concentrate.”

William now faces going to Copleston High School to study for the A-level.

He said: “We have only had a month to sort out what we are going to do. It is not fair. I wanted the adult environment of the college and now I have to go back to school.”

Do you feel let down by Suffolk College? Has your school changed its curriculum without warning? What do you think? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

SUFFOLK College today defended its decision saying there had been little interest in the A-level physics course.

A college spokeswoman said more popular courses had been added to the new curriculum which will start this autumn.

She added:“Numbers of young people interested in following A-level physics at Suffolk College is low, and to meet changing demands from applicants the choice of A-level subjects offered has been reviewed. “Although A-level physics has been withdrawn, we are pleased to announce that film studies, communication studies, and government and politics have been added to subjects offered from September 2006.

“We intend to support all our students who successfully complete their first year physics exams this summer and wish to carry on to complete the full A-level in Jun 2007. We are investigating working with a local high school to bring about this.”

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