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EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance)- The poll.
Okay we all know what these are, but what do you think of them: Are the benefits great enough to justify sponging more tax payers money?
"Almost 300,000 teenagers in England have received payments of up to £30 a week for staying in education...
Young people from households earning less than £30,000 a year are eligible.
They get £10, £20 or £30 a week paid into their bank accounts, according to exact income."
I must stress "poorer" backgrounds, students receiving EMA's could come from a family where income is 30k. An income of £30k does not mean people are struggling to survive, as the government may have you believe.
Yes, the first post is a little biased, get over it.
"Almost 300,000 teenagers in England have received payments of up to £30 a week for staying in education...
Young people from households earning less than £30,000 a year are eligible.
They get £10, £20 or £30 a week paid into their bank accounts, according to exact income."
I must stress "poorer" backgrounds, students receiving EMA's could come from a family where income is 30k. An income of £30k does not mean people are struggling to survive, as the government may have you believe.
Yes, the first post is a little biased, get over it.
Scroll to see replies
Reply 1
Its not a good thing and we should abolish it. The government is simply handing out money to teenagers so that they can buy a new X-box or Playstation, which of course is a total waste of money. If they really want to help poorer students, then they would spend this money on textbooks and free school trips.
zaf1986
EMA is given to students in FE. I haven't been on a single school trip over the two years for which I have had to pay. If you count the revision lectures as trips, well they are run by private organisers anyway.
I think he was loosely referring to various educational materials. With the EMA, there is nothing particular that people must spend it on; if the real target is raising standards in education, perhaps tokens/vouchers/books would make more sense?
Most people getting EMA are in education regardless. People are not going to go to college just so that they can get their £30p/week...
Reply 4
From my understanding there is also an age restriction on it and that it only applies to those who are in their first year of studies? If so then it deceives the point in trying to prevent students undertaking excessive employment.
It sounds flawed.
The government logic is: Give them a cash incentive and we can encourage people to work, the same way as the market does. However: Encouraging attendance doesn't automatically mean they're encouraging achievement, excellence or interest. It reminds me of the wage they give Chemistry undergrads.
I went for #3, since I don't know enough about the affects it has. But if it works, I'm for it, since it means less potential junkies, vaigrants and muggers
The government logic is: Give them a cash incentive and we can encourage people to work, the same way as the market does. However: Encouraging attendance doesn't automatically mean they're encouraging achievement, excellence or interest. It reminds me of the wage they give Chemistry undergrads.
I went for #3, since I don't know enough about the affects it has. But if it works, I'm for it, since it means less potential junkies, vaigrants and muggers
Reply 6
Can we not have a poll option for 'good in theory, but needs changing' or something?
I think he was loosely referring to various educational materials. With the EMA, there is nothing particular that people must spend it on; if the real target is raising standards in education, perhaps tokens/vouchers/books would make more sense?
But if it works, I'm for it, since it means less potential junkies, vaigrants and muggers
Thats what the government argued. Whether or not it is working, is another question.
I think it needs reforming. People on less than 20k a year may need help for their kids. But between 20-30k isn't really justifiable. What would be better, would be free trips or subsidised trips, and FREE TRANSPORT.
A school trip to Paris, e.g. costing 250 quid could be subsidised, or a lecture costing 20 quid could also be subsidised. The leavers Ball and a yearbook in my school cost 50 quid together, not to mention cost of dresses/tux. I think it is unfair for poorer students to miss out on these things, but I think a more targeted scheme would be fairer to both taxpayers and better for the kids who won't have as much of an opportunity to waste their money.
A school trip to Paris, e.g. costing 250 quid could be subsidised, or a lecture costing 20 quid could also be subsidised. The leavers Ball and a yearbook in my school cost 50 quid together, not to mention cost of dresses/tux. I think it is unfair for poorer students to miss out on these things, but I think a more targeted scheme would be fairer to both taxpayers and better for the kids who won't have as much of an opportunity to waste their money.
beekeeper_
People are not going to go to college just so that they can get their £30p/week...
Thats far from true, infact I know someone who would not be in college were it not for the EMA. He would probably be working at Tesco, now he's going to study Business and Management next year at university with the help of the government.
Obviously the system isn't perfect, it's open to abuse. However I think the principle is good, a better debate would be what reforms are needed and how they would be effectively implemented.
kizdesai
Thats far from true, infact I know someone who would not be in college were it not for the EMA. He would probably be working at Tesco, now he's going to study Business and Management next year at university with the help of the government.
Another issue althogether, of course, would be whether or not we actually want to pay for more students to cram into universities...
Reply 14
zaf1986
EMA is given to students in FE. I haven't been on a single school trip over the two years for which I have had to pay. If you count the revision lectures as trips, well they are run by private organisers anyway.
Every school trip that I have been on required a payment, be it about £10-20 to go to Stirling to see Bannockburn and the Wallace monument, or £300-400 to go to Berlin.
Reply 15
beekeeper_
Okay we all know what these are, but what do you think of them: Are the benefits great enough to justify sponging more tax payers money?
"Almost 300,000 teenagers in England have received payments of up to £30 a week for staying in education...
Young people from households earning less than £30,000 a year are eligible.
They get £10, £20 or £30 a week paid into their bank accounts, according to exact income."
I must stress "poorer" backgrounds, students receiving EMA's could come from a family where income is 30k. An income of £30k does not mean people are struggling to survive, as the government may have you believe.
Yes, the first post is a little biased, get over it.
"Almost 300,000 teenagers in England have received payments of up to £30 a week for staying in education...
Young people from households earning less than £30,000 a year are eligible.
They get £10, £20 or £30 a week paid into their bank accounts, according to exact income."
I must stress "poorer" backgrounds, students receiving EMA's could come from a family where income is 30k. An income of £30k does not mean people are struggling to survive, as the government may have you believe.
Yes, the first post is a little biased, get over it.
I'm a bit annoyed at this allowance, mainly because I was in the last year that didn't get it, and I worked at weekends to make that £30 that year 12 student now get for riding their skateboards all weekend.
It's probably just sour grapes, and I would have jumped at the opportunity to get it had I been offered.
In fact, I think that the most negative aspect is that it persuades some people to stay on in school, when it obviously won't benefit them. Why is the government trying to force as many people into higher education as possible? We're going to end up with no plumbers or electricians, but a million people with diplomas in tourism!
Reply 16
beekeeper_
It would perhaps be more productive if the students receiving the EMA have to document a short journal, explaining what they have done with it, and how it has been useful to them, in order to get their next installment?
Every week? ...Or what?beekeeper_
It would perhaps be more productive if the students receiving the EMA have to document a short journal, explaining what they have done with it, and how it has been useful to them, in order to get their next installment?
Reforms need to be implemented but not ones which would skyrocket the administration cost. The principle of EMA also lies in the opportunity cost of things.
Oh blah blah blah, poor little me in my 35 grand a year family begrudging someone from a 12 grand a year family 30 quid a week so they don't have to leave and get a dead-end job in a corner shop somewhere. It's typical middle class outrage at the fact that someone else is getting something they're not. Quit being so petty and begrudging the poorer families some much needed assistance.
Reply 19
veryjammy
Oh blah blah blah, poor little me in my 35 grand a year family begrudging someone from a 12 grand a year family 30 quid a week so they don't have to leave and get a dead-end job in a corner shop somewhere. It's typical middle class outrage at the fact that someone else is getting something they're not. Quit being so petty and begrudging the poorer families some much needed assistance.
Yep, you can sense the middle class outrage buzzing on TSR like a light-sabre.
Related discussions
- EMA
- Do you still get EMA on a gap year?
- Distance Learning Student - Why No Maintenance Loan?
- How do you feel about the announced increases in undergraduate tuition fees?
- Student Finance Maintanance but not tuition
- Ambulance technician
- Maintenance Loan for Distance Learning
- what is a special support loan
- Student Finance England
- So I have been withdrawn from uni last week| SFE question
- Year 12s: do you think cost of living will impact your university choices?
- Student finance for switching courses
- Can i receive student finance while on Universal credit and PIP?
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