Is EMA Fair???

bumpoowee

student_advisor wrote: »

I work with young people who are homeless, who live independently, who are parents themselves, who are carers for their parents, who are unable to manage both part-time work and full-time study due to disability. Who are working hard to improve their chances.

I also work with young people who live in extremely rural areas where there is little work, or it costs so much to travel to work that it means it's not cost-effective on minimum wage.

There are students who fall through the holes in our local authority transport policies and have to pay ridiculous sums of money for travel to college.

The young people I work with are not "poor excuses for students". I find it very offensive that you say so. They are hard-working and eager to take their lives and education forward despite the s*@! hand that they have been dealt with.

Fair enough, hadn't considered people in those scenarios - however I would suggest the proportion of students who:

a) need the income to continue at college
and
b) cannot fund themselves through parental support/part time work

is so tiny as to be insignificant. Certainly I don't object to people who really do need to money, should be at college and can't afford it any other way getting EMA, but the current EMA system is clearly not targeted just to help these people; a far greater amount of EMA support is given purely as a bribe to keep unemployment figures down.

tiannaleigh

I cant wait for my daughters ema to come through as I am really struggling to pay her way till it comes,Im a single parent to a 4yr old and my 16 year old daughter,she has just started a child care course and Ive had to pay a £36 police check fee,black shoes,black trousers ,folders,files etc,she has supposed to have already ordered 2 tunics which are £20 each which I have just scrapped the money together for her to order them on monday,but she has been really embarresed as nobody else in her class has had any trouble paying for these things,she still hasnt got a buspass so its £4 bus fare a day,I have found it really difficult for her to just get there and have the basic equipment but at least I know eventually there will be some help as with christmas coming up I couldnt carry on like this,so I think in some circumstances ema is a great thing as it would be awfull if children like my daugher could not better them selves because of parents like me

skint-student-nurse

i didnt get ema at college - my mum moved abroad the day i started my a-levels and for those who dont know, i lost my dad when i was 9,so i had no parental support at college. i finished college at 4pm, i worked for mr tesco 5-10pm most nights and all weekend. i had to pay my own bus fare and rent,bills etc all at the age of 17. it was the most tiring two years of my life and it bugs me that students of today,and/or their moan that they cant afford college without it. im not jelous, or annoyed with ema, i just think that its pointless,especially as parents get child benefit while their child is still in education. rant over!

bestpud

atypical wrote: »

Not in a world of finite resources. There is an acceptable cost that can be spent on an individual’s education, in the same way NICE puts an acceptable cost on the price of someone’s life.

That's precisely why it cant be rolled out to all students, as some on here suggest it should...

This is the saddest thing. Education should be sold on its intrinsic values, not on the value of £x a week.

But, some children have not had the benefit of experiencing education for its intrinsic value - they have simply not had the experiences and background that instills that kind of attitude.

Doesn't mean they are not capable, or worthy of being at college though.

An arguably more effective use of the money would be an education campaign which could have changed the mindset of generations, spelling out the value of education (if it isn't obvious enough). Rather than bribing them into it and hoping they recognise the advantages themselves somewhere down the line (and hoping they don't get disillusioned if they can't find a job because their qualification isn't valued by employers).

'Aim Higher' is along those lines, I believe...?

It is very difficult to change a mind set like that and tbh, bribery may well be the cheaper option, as it could take many, many years of targeted input.

Short term fixes is New Labours speciality, not long term programmes.



It depends on how many times you can multiply his case. I don't know by how many times and more worryingly I don't think the government does either.

I agree, there is probably no way of knowing, and I very much doubt anyone is counting.

On the direct.gov website it states EMA is "to help you carry on learning" and this is the way the government has always presented it: as a means of helping individuals meet the costs of an education they otherwise wouldn't be able to afford.

'Carry on learning' could mean a multitide of things tbh.

It is targeted at pupils who are under pressure (from peers and/or family) to get a job and bring money, so helping them carry on learning means they are still students so the parents can receive benefits for them, and they also don't need any pocket money.

It is not money specifically given for course costs.

Of course, it will be used for course costs, but there is nothing to stipulate, or even suggest it must, or even should, be.

student_advisor

bumpoowee wrote: »

a far greater amount of EMA support is given purely as a bribe to keep unemployment figures down.

EMA = £30 per week max
JSA = £50(ish) per week and claimable for 16/17 yr olds where parents are on benefits

EMA = must attend every session for at least 12 hrs per week and behave
JSA = must sign on every other week and say you're looking for work

so, if JSA's an option for you, you'll certainly be better off on that than coming to college

and where a young person has not gone straight on to further study, but on to benefits themselves, EMA can be an enticement to move off JSA & back to full-time study

If it does bribe some students back into/stay on in education and they eventually get their qualifications and go on and get jobs, is that such a bad thing? Really? As mentioned, it would take far more targeted finances to change the mindset of a large part of the nation.

As I said initially, it's not perfect, and there may well be better alternatives, but you cannot say it isn't of need to some and doesn't make a difference.

littlepinkstars44

student_advisor wrote: »

You had a part-time job that paid £15,600 pa while you were a student? What were you doing?

I think you ready the numbers wrong i said £300 a month not £3000!!

i worked in Claires as a supervisor, worked about 16 hours a week at £5 odds (sorry dont remember the exact figure as it was years ago) 8 hours saturday, 8 hours sunday, and a few extra shifts on a thursday late night shopping. Then worked full time all summer until school started again in august. Plus got time and a half on sundays

I am still a student, and make about £450 a month at the moment from working 16 hours @ £6 an hour plus time and a half on sundays! As well as recieving £420 a month student loan

student_advisor

littlepinkstars44 wrote: »

I think you ready the numbers wrong i said £300 a month not £3000!!

Sorry, you said you were earning £300 a week!

littlepinkstars44

student_advisor wrote: »

Sorry, you said you were earning £300 a week!

lol we both got it wrong!

Jakg

littlepinkstars44 wrote: »

...as i had a part time job, and made £300 a week from that...

...



IMO EMA should pay for stuff the course needs, like books etc, and travel. Give them a card so they get it free but giving people free money rarely helps.

littlepinkstars44

Jakg wrote: »

...



IMO EMA should pay for stuff the course needs, like books etc, and travel. Give them a card so they get it free but giving people free money rarely helps.

I've never had to buy any textbooks ever, until now, i just started uni and have had to buy 1 book for this semester.

In school we were given books, and in college we never used any.
All i ever needed in college was a notebook and a pen.
At school we got a train pass, so free transport. And when i was in college we also go travel expenses.
It makes you wonder what you are actually meant to spend that £30 a month on if you dont need any of these things then.