YOUNG political campaigners have started a petition calling for the government to reverse its decision to axe a project to rebuild schools.

In July the coalition government announced it was scrapping Building Schools for the Future (BSF), the previous government’s £55b programme to rebuild every secondary school in England.

This means four schools in Gravesham have had their rebuilding plans cancelled - Gravesend Grammar for Boys, Gravesend Grammar for Girls, Meopham School and St George’s C of E.

In protest, members of Young Labour have been out in Gravesend town centre collecting signatures for their Save Our School petition, and have so far gathered more than 100.

Alexander Wallace, aged 22, Labour’s Gravesham youth officer, said: “There is no economic necessity for these cuts, and Gravesham will be left with two tiers of school buildings.

“The BSF project was an investment in the future of Britain and its children, and to cut that rebuilding programme now shows a remarkable degree of short-sightedness.”

Since the BSF programme was launched in 2003, 11 schools in Kent have been, or are in the process of being, rebuilt and seven new academies have been completed or are underway.

This includes Northfleet School for Girls and Northfleet Technology College, as well as Ifield School, St John's Catholic Comprehensive and Thamesview School, all in Gravesend.

Where building is still underway, such as Northfleet Technology College, the work will be completed.

The government is still debating whether to go ahead with the rebuilding of Wilmington Enterprise College.