Rules for teacher not signing EMA card?

percymoneysaver

Sorry, 3nicky1, I didn't mean to offend, and certainly didn't mean to imply that all EMA students are undeserving. I'm well aware of how much in need most students are, and especially this year when due the chaos of the new system some of our students' payments didn't come through until January, and they and their families were really struggling.

What I find really hard to accept every year is the students who apply and then find out they are not entitled as they are just over the limit - in one case recently by just over £100 of gross income!

I've said all along that in the OP's case, this does seem like a harsh application of the rules, and it shouldn't be used as a "disciplinary weapon". But there are rules - and we get audited occasionally to see if we're applying them - and you can't be seen to be only stopping EMA for some and not others on a regular basis, otherwise the ones who get it stopped have real grounds for appeal. EMA isn't something for nothing and therefore stopping it does have to be used as an extra "punishment" (for lack of a better word) for students on it. It isn't a level playing field, so there's no point in trying to have it both ways.

bestpud

OT but I'm glad there is no shame in claiming EMA; why on earth should there be??

Freckles88_2

Can I just say as an EMA administrator that the school may not be "singling out" the EMA students intentionally, and I certainly take issue with the word "disgusting".

EMA is adminstered differently in different schools and colleges - I've worked in more than one and know lots of other people working with it as well. The paper based, teacher signing method may be the only way the school can do it for various reasons, not least of which are financial. In the first year of EMA we had a paper based system, but when it came in nationally we had to spend a fortune on an electronic registration system for the college just to make administering EMA possible as there were over 500 students eligible and we couldn't do them all by hand! If the school doesn't do electronic registration,the teacher signing method may be the only way to check students are attending classes. But there are certainly ways this could be done discreetly.

I can't believe that there is a single sixth form that wants to single out the "poor kids", and anyone with an issue with it at a school where it's more obvious should just speak to their EMA administrator and I'm sure a more subtle method would be worked out for that student. However, I have to say in my experience it's been a very long time since I've seen a student ashamed of getting EMA.

Fair point Percy, although I have to say that I do find the way Sary's son seems to have been treated - not just in terms of his EMA - as disgusting. That's just my personal opinion.

My EMA secretary when I was at college was a wonderful person, we were clearly lucky to have an assigned person dealing with our EMA enquires and payments, I acknowledge that it is costly.

3nicky1

No worries Percy - I can see it must be really frustrating especially when those that are getting it wrongly are boasting about it. It just worries me that people (especilly people who dont know the system) thnk that most of us are claiming it so we can get to the pub more often