Two Island students have been told they’ll become the first people in fifty years to petition Tynwald court directly next week.

Sixth formers Sam Turton and Ben Ingham’s 2,500-signature document will be considered directly by the court when it sits next Tuesday.

The Department of Education plans to introduce a universal charge on students towards their tution fees from 2014 with additional means-tested contributions for higher-earning families, in a move to offset deep cuts in its budget. 

Usually, campaigners present petitions for redress of grievance on Tynwald Day or hand them to ministers.

Sam says the process of putting the petition directly to the court for debate means politicians will have to confront their opposition to the introduction of tuition fee loans: