STUDENTS will take over the National Assembly tomorrow to call for work on the new chamber to be scrapped.

The proposal echoes the results of Argus phone poll, where 92 per cent of readers voted for work to halt on the £40 million building and cash to be redirected towards health and education spending.

The debate is part of a day of activity involving ten comprehensive schools, including two from Gwent - Brynmawr and Lliswerry High.

Martin Pollard, education officer for the Council for Education in World Citizenship-Cymru, said the idea was to encourage youngsters to develop their debating skills and encourage their involvement in the big issues.

"We're trying to reflect a mixture of controversial issues and daily business at the Assembly," he said. "So there will be motions on GM foods and sustainable development as well as the Assembly building."

The building debate will be the first time since the Argus' poll that the Assembly has heard a full debate on the issue. None of the parties in the real Assembly has tabled a motion, believing the issue to be already decided.

Tomorrow's version will see Bishop Vaughan RC School, Swansea, putting forward the arguments of the Welsh Conservatives - that the proposed building, pictured, should be scrapped and money spent instead on schools and hospitals.

St Teilo's Church in Wales High School, Cardiff, will respond, putting the case with which the government and majority of AMs agree - that Wales needs a landmark building, and that its small cost compared to other countries will be more than recovered in tourist revenue.

Pupils from Newport's Lliswerry High School will be speaking on sustainable development and have been asked to put across the views of the Assembly's economic development committee. St Martin's Comprehensive in Caerphilly will be putting the view of the environment committee.

Brynmawr Comprehensive will be taking the part of the Assembly's education committee in a debate on democracy in schools and the involvement of pupils in school policy matters. They will be opposed by Llanishen High School, Cardiff.

In our phone poll in February, 345 Argus readers voted for the new building to be scrapped. Just 27 readers wanted it to go ahead.

The words "waste of money" were spoken by many of the callers.

But AMs who back the building said once it was built, the new building would come to be as well-loved as the Millennium Stadium.