EMA- fair or unfair?

What does everyone else think about EMA and how the system works? I often complain about it, but only because I'm jealous and wish I got it. There are so many people who cheat the system.

What do you think? Those of you who receive it, do you find it essential? Those of you who don't, what do you think? Do you feel like you should be rewarded for your attendance?

Discuss :smile:

Reply 1

AnythingButChardonnay

14

Unfair for me. I would be entitled to it if my Dad wasn't too bone-idle to work out how much he earns (or loses...!!!!) per year.

Reply 2

granita

I believe I should be rewarded for my all my talents and hardwork in obtaining so many qualifications, yet I go unnoticed. Also, EMA is supposed to be spent on educational products, yet I see many people who just buy clothes!

I would definitely spend it on improving my education as I study so much.

Reply 3

AnythingButChardonnay

14

Yes! I bet the overwhelming majority who claim not to have enough money just go and spend it on luxuries. If I could get it, I know (and am rather ashamed to admit) I would do the same.

Really they should be targetting the minority of people who come from genuinely broken homes and who just want to carry on education.

Reply 4

Hopple

18

I think that some people do need the EMA in order to not leave school, and in general, this is a good thing.

I believe I should be rewarded for my all my talents and hardwork in obtaining so many qualifications, yet I go unnoticed.

The qualifications are your reward, they can be very useful in the future :wink:

Also, EMA is supposed to be spent on educational products, yet I see many people who just buy clothes!

They can spend it however they like, as long as it gets them into school.

Reply 5

curiouslyorange1989

lol good if it actually allows a clever poor person to acheive. bad because it just means a bunch of chavs (least at my comp) only go to school to get paid and pratt around all day...

Reply 6

Mr. Ed

10

I get EMA, and yes, it is unfair. :p:

Just because you have rich parents it doesn't mean they shower you with cash, and vice versa.

Reply 7

Tootles

21

I think it's a good idea to encourage students, but I do think it should be offered to all students.

Reply 8

Angelil

19

I think that in its current form it is a bribe and that the government needs to improve it vastly before people will take it seriously. It should NOT be a bribe to make people go to school - people should go to school for its own sake. If it's being given to families that need the money that badly, then it should be given in WHSmith vouchers (for stationery) and Sainsbury's vouchers (for food) - NOT in cash to the kids themselves.

Reply 9

Taintedblue_i

OP

granita

I believe I should be rewarded for my all my talents and hardwork in obtaining so many qualifications, yet I go unnoticed. Also, EMA is supposed to be spent on educational products, yet I see many people who just buy clothes!

I would definitely spend it on improving my education as I study so much.

I would say I definitely agree with you. One good friend of mine spends her EMA on cigarettes, another, who just quit her part time job, is always complaining that she has no money, and yet she receives the full £30 a week and goes to a ridiculously overpriced juice bar every day after school. It gets me down because, although my parents will gladly pay for necessary educational products (they paid for my labcoat for chemistry and have agreed to pay for my maths C1 resit, and have always bought me necessary textbooks), I often find myself buying extra resources, and this all has to come out of my allowance.

I push myself constantly to go to school, simply because I know even missing just one day will mean hours of catching up. I then see people skipping their frees and getting other people to sign them in so that they can qualify for their EMA. Our school has introduced a new biometric registration system so that this can can no longer happen, but people still find loopholes.

I do agree with the principle of EMA, but I think that it needs to be regulated, as there is currently no way to control what the money is spent on.

(Sorry for the huge rant, but I suppose that's why I made this thread! I just want to vent about this and see what other people have to say)

Reply 10

grammar_king

2

There's the issue of people cheating it, and that it's not spent the way it's supposed to (personally I don't think it needs to be spent on educational materials, that's not the point), but I have a bigger issue with it. You can be an only child and your parents can be just below the means tested line and you'll get it, but if your parents are just over the line and have 12 kids, you get nothing.

Personally I was elegible for it at the start of year 12 but didn't apply for it. I had a job so I didn't need the money, so I didn't take it. A lot of people have said I was stupid for that but I'm not going to take money I don't need.

Reply 11

34253

2

If the idea was to bring these students into line with other students whose parents earn more they should give the £30 to their parents, that way they can have richer parents who don't give them anything either.

Reply 12

Angelil

19

grammar_king

There's the issue of people cheating it, and that it's not spent the way it's supposed to (personally I don't think it needs to be spent on educational materials, that's not the point), but I have a bigger issue with it. You can be an only child and your parents can be just below the means tested line and you'll get it, but if your parents are just over the line and have 12 kids, you get nothing.

Personally I was elegible for it at the start of year 12 but didn't apply for it. I had a job so I didn't need the money, so I didn't take it. A lot of people have said I was stupid for that but I'm not going to take money I don't need.

Eh? It's called EDUCATION Maintenance Allowance, not Clothes Maintenance Allowance.

Reply 13

N89

It's completely unfair, just becuase my parents earn more than a certain level doesn't mean that I actually see any of that money.

To be fair, all I see (maybe just where I live) is people spending it in JD, shisha or on clothes or other materialistic needs.

I do not see how that at all helps them to study...

Reply 14

EvilSheep

Angelil

I think that in its current form it is a bribe and that the government needs to improve it vastly before people will take it seriously. It should NOT be a bribe to make people go to school - people should go to school for its own sake. If it's being given to families that need the money that badly, then it should be given in WHSmith vouchers (for stationery) and Sainsbury's vouchers (for food) - NOT in cash to the kids themselves.

I agree. Vouchers are a very good idea!!! Have never thought about that. Then again, some people might need the money for clothes as well.. When I went to school (In Norway, so slightly different), I used the money to pay for my bus pass, school books, equipment, clothes and food. Just what I needed really, but I know of many who spent it on drinks and cigarettes which is disgusting imo.

Reply 15

grammar_king

2

Angelil

Eh? It's called EDUCATION Maintenance Allowance, not Clothes Maintenance Allowance.

It's called that because it allows you to maintain your education. It's to encourage people to go to school who otherwise would have dropped out to get a job. Duh...

Reply 16

Taintedblue_i

OP

Hopple

They can spend it however they like, as long as it gets them into school.

I think the problem here is that however they like usually has nothing to do with school. A lot of people are given money towards transport anyway and the vast majority use this the get a bus pass, so they can get to school anyway.

However, as has been mentioned, I'm sure some people really do need it. I know someone who helps out their mum with the money from the EMA. Perhaps that's not what EMA is intended for either, but I suppose people make do however they can. It's a shame that some people receive this aid and do not make full benefit of it, when others need it desperately for more personal reasons.

Reply 17

Hopple

18

Elipsis

If the idea was to bring these students into line with other students whose parents earn more they should give the £30 to their parents, that way they can have richer parents who don't give them anything either.

That's a good idea. It would go some way to help parents know how hard their children are working at school too.

Reply 18

EvilSheep

grammar_king

Personally I was elegible for it at the start of year 12 but didn't apply for it. I had a job so I didn't need the money, so I didn't take it. A lot of people have said I was stupid for that but I'm not going to take money I don't need.

I'd take it and save it for uni...

Reply 19

Taintedblue_i

OP

EvilSheep

I agree. Vouchers are a very good idea!!! Have never thought about that. Then again, some people might need the money for clothes as well.. When I went to school (In Norway, so slightly different), I used the money to pay for my bus pass, school books, equipment, clothes and food. Just what I needed really, but I know of many who spent it on drinks and cigarettes which is disgusting imo.

I also agree with the idea of vouchers, I wonder if that idea has ever been broached. It seems like a good way to control what the money is spent on.

EMA- fair or unfair?

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