EMA withdrawall

WHITEVANMAN

Smidster wrote: »

Surely this isn't something you would recommend?

If someone is in college from 9-4 they then really shouldn't be working from 5-9/10 in the evening. They still have to do college work (and yes A Levels do still require a lot of effort and additional work and if they are not getting back till the small hours of the morning then how are they going to be able to function the next day at college. The net effect is the education really suffers. They do also have to do things like eat and have some sort of life outside education and work (although I accept that most people are not as fussy about meal times as I am)

To cover EMA that would be 2 days a week, hardly life depriving.
In life, you get out what you put in, The ethic of having to work at what you want and that it sometimes involves some personal sacrifice and inconvienience will serve you well for the future.

To many have got too used to being spoon fed and hand held for too long.

lemonjelly

I work in a college, so see EMA daily.

The vast waste of money on administering EMA is the biggest issue imo. It costs vastly more to process & administer, what with staff, application forms, computer systems etc.

In addition, it is not always the case that those in genuine need are the ones recieving it.

IMO allocating funds directly to the educational institution for them to administer to the students who genuinely need the support would be a far cheaper method of addressing financial exclusion in education. Plus, it would help institutions look at local priorities/trends, and specific groups not accessing education.

Graham_Devon

Smidster wrote: »

Surely this isn't something you would recommend?

If someone is in college from 9-4 they then really shouldn't be working from 5-9/10 in the evening. They still have to do college work (and yes A Levels do still require a lot of effort and additional work and if they are not getting back till the small hours of the morning then how are they going to be able to function the next day at college. The net effect is the education really suffers. They do also have to do things like eat and have some sort of life outside education and work (although I accept that most people are not as fussy about meal times as I am)

We seemed to cope for decades up until EMA came in.

What's different now? Why can we now not cope with what we did for decades?

I'd also like to know how it's somehow acceptable that OTHER young adults don't get EMA and are expected to sort themselves out. What's so different about the other kids? Howcome they are expected to get on and go out and sort themselves out?

lemonjelly

Another thing, whilst on the subject, given the debate I hope we all remember the following:

Let's hope they bring up the "3 year entitlement" and the promise, made by Cameron and recorded on film before the Election, that the Conservatives would not abolish EMA ..... oh and Michael Gove's comment recorded in the Guardian, that Labour were putting about false statements when they claimed Conservatives were planning to cut EMA.

Strange how Clegg is pilloried for breaking faith - but these 2 are not!

Batchy

OK, what will happen when EMA scrapped...

16yo's will no longer be walking around with Iphones... simples.

What on earth do they think they spent this money on, other than booze, and gadgets. it should be exhanged with Laptop vouchers!

Puddleglum

There has got to be something in place which will protect the people who are worst off and it seems as though the government recognises this and will ensure that this safety net continues.

One thing which I have noticed, is the odd student who, if they miss one day for some reason will then not appear for the rest of the week as they have lost their ema and there is no longer any financial incentive to turn up. In encouraging this sort of hard bitten attitude the ema has failed and must be replaced by something which is fit for purpose.

SingleSue

Batchy wrote: »

OK, what will happen when EMA scrapped...

16yo's will no longer be walking around with Iphones... simples.

What on earth do they think they spent this money on, other than booze, and gadgets. it should be exhanged with Laptop vouchers!

Hmmm......son does not have an Iphone, doesn't spend his on booze and doesn't spend it on gadgets!

For people like my son's friend, she will no longer be able to go to college...why? Because her mum refuses to pay for fares (her parents didn't, so why should she is her outlook) and this student uses all of her EMA plus part of her earnings from a part time job just to get to the college. The rest of her part time earnings go on essential books and equipment required for her course with a shortfall on regular occasions...none at all left over for boozing, buying gadgets etc.

As said before, my son would have gone to 6th form regardless of being paid EMA or not, we would have found a way to pay for his books etc (probably a loan from bank of mum and dad - my mum and dad that is) as I believe that a good education is of extreme importance but for some others, the receipt of EMA is an essential for them to be able to go, especially if they have parents who do not believe in the merits of further education and as such, are unsupportive financially.

purch

On the subject of getting to School/College for further education. If the statutory age that you can leave full time education is raised, then the age that school transport has to be provided will presumably rise too.

Currently if a child lives more than 3 miles from their 'catchment' school they are provided with free transport up to the age of 16. If the school leaving age rises, then this age should also rise in line.

Batchy

tightrs wrote: »

he could use a bicycle nearest town is 15 miles away up and down hills or moped Who is going to fund it?!
have you not got the use of a car to take him to work /pick him up from work if he gets a job in the local town -I work from 3 till 11
he is going to have to travel for a job most people do I agree but any job he gets would have to be between 8 and 6 therefor not enabling him to go to college, both my daughters work and are at college they do not qualify for ema and myself or my wife will drop them off /pick them up when its late or buses aren't running Your lucky their are 2 of you to do the running about after them

more excuses
the moped could be funded by a job not to mention the savings on bus fares ,hours of work are not between 8 and 6 ,both daughters work in shops sometimes till 9pm on weekdays after college,some of their friends work in fast food outlets till midnight
last week we were in lanzarote and my sister picked the youngest up from work for us ,have you no one at all that will help out,family ?
getting ema is not a barrier for work you can have ema and a job :beer:

Sorry but, as a parent, why are you living 15 miles from whereever, you have kids ... did you not think of them when you moved? or the consequences of living where you are living.

When I was 16, I decided to go to college which was a bus ride away, my mom was on benefits, reflected by me being in full time education. So she funded my education out of that. She does regret it now, since I pay more in taxes now than my mom receive's in benefits. It was a hard slog while all my friends had everything but were working in factories. I worked in a warehouse and a fridge at ASDA for pittance, and it made me so ill most of the time I quit. I just went without. You do not need to buy books, you can borrow them from library's. Use older books, etc.

All the recommended reading books are great, as long as you actually read them. I never used to but I always paid a lot of attention in lessons.

In fact ive never really studied at home. It just doesnt get done. I always used to get disturbed in the house, with 5 sisters making a hell of a lot of noise.

You have to deal with what ever comes your way in life and that means you get out what you put in... part time jobs give you a lot more than a bit of pocket money, its independance, respect and responsibility.

The only thing 16yos are responsible for at the moment is their iphones, or mobiles.

Get a job and speak properly... then you can get some other help. Otherwise... stop complaining.

If there are no jobs, then all the education in the world wont change anything, maybe we need some sweat shops, etc.

silvercar

purch wrote: »

On the subject of getting to School/College for further education. If the statutory age that you can leave full time education is raised, then the age that school transport has to be provided will presumably rise too.

Currently if a child lives more than 3 miles from their 'catchment' school they are provided with free transport up to the age of 16. If the school leaving age rises, then this age should also rise in line.

Agreed, but you are only entitled to transport to the nearest local school. At 6th form level students travel further to the place that offers the course they want to study.