STUDENTS on a degree course in Thundersley are breathing a sigh of relief after “absurd” plans to shift their classes 60 miles away were scrapped.

Following a heated meeting at Seevic College, in Thundersley, education chiefs vowed to axe plans to make about 60 of their students travel to Cambridge for lectures twice a week from September.

Teenagers and mature students on the physical education and sports coaching course were given letters last week telling them the change was in the pipeline in order to give them a better “higher educational experience”.

They were also dealt the blow that their timetable would be squashed down to just two arduous 12-hour days at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge.

Students determined to fight the plans packed into a meeting on Monday night at the Seevic campus, in Runnymede Chase, to thrash out the issue and make their views clear.

Jason Stephens, 39, from Basildon, who in his first year of the course and pays his way by working as a part-time PE teacher, said: “To be honest, the meeting was embarrassing at first.

“They gave us a presentation about how great the university in Cambridge is, which was all well and good, but none of us want to go there.

“They were saying how they’d lay on the free coach and even subsidise accommodation down there, but they still just weren’t seeing how for personal reasons most of us are studying locally for a reason.”

Jason said he left the meeting still unsure as to what would happen.

However, yesterday morning Seevic chiefs confirmed to the Echo anyone on the existing course won’t be forced to move.

Jason added: “We are pleased they’ve listened to us and it’s a big relief. It seemed an absurd plan to me.”

Damion Turner, 19, from Langdon Hills, also in his first year of the degree, added: “I was accepted to several institutions to study for my degree, but chose to come to Seevic because of the atmosphere.

“I work part time, and also coach athletics at my old school, De La Salle in Basildon, and moving to Cambridge wouldn’t work with my commitments.”