EMA

[englishangel]

I recieve £30 a week ema, and find/found it very useful in paying for driving lessons (which I otherwise could not have/have had). And if the government are going to give it to us then why not? Just a shame we end up paying it back several times over with the new uni top-up fees.... which many of us will be paying back for most of our lives.... where's the logic in that?!

It appears to me that, as a taxpayer, I am funding the existance, maintenance, staffing etc. of schools to which youths from 5 to 18 might care to go if they have nothing else to do.

Fine, if they are not at school then I consider it only fair to assume that they are in meaningful employ and that, from their income elsewhere, they should pay for the services offered to them and not taken up. ie fine them £30 per week that they don't attend (time in hospital for injuries incurred whilst sober excluded).


Of course I can't suggest that in public because it would be read that I am trying to influence Saint Tony, alias HM Government, and any attempt to influence HM Government by any peaceful and reasonable (or violent for that matter) means whatsoever is an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000 resulting in incarceration at Saint Tony's pleasure,

How much did you pay to go to University? Neither I nor my parents paid a penny.

[sejintenej]

I recieve £30 a week ema, and find/found it very useful in paying for driving lessons (which I otherwise could not have/have had). And if the government are going to give it to us then why not? Just a shame we end up paying it back several times over with the new uni top-up fees.... which many of us will be paying back for most of our lives.... where's the logic in that?!

It appears to me that, as a taxpayer, I am funding the existance, maintenance, staffing etc. of schools to which youths from 5 to 18 might care to go if they have nothing else to do.

Fine, if they are not at school then I consider it only fair to assume that they are in meaningful employ and that, from their income elsewhere, they should pay for the services offered to them and not taken up. ie fine them £30 per week that they don't attend (time in hospital for injuries incurred whilst sober excluded).


Of course I can't suggest that in public because it would be read that I am trying to influence Saint Tony, alias HM Government, and any attempt to influence HM Government by any peaceful and reasonable (or violent for that matter) means whatsoever is an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000 resulting in incarceration at Saint Tony's pleasure,

How much did you pay to go to University? Neither I nor my parents paid a penny.

Not a bean, not a sou. I couldn't afford to even contemplate going to Uni even though I had the entry qualifications. I guess your parents did pay your fares to get there (or buy you the bike) , perhaps a bit of famine relief? Perhaps the odd pair of slacks etc? and you still say thay didn't pay anything?

[westguncopse]

EMA is here to stay and whilst it stays so too will the debate about whether it is right to 'bribe' students to stay on at school. In reality, I imagine that a fair number of students who are poor and still at school will use the money wisely. However, it is also clear that a fair number will use the money to buy CDs, beer and the like. The sad thing is that parents who send their children to CH and earn c. £30,000 are really hurt by the fees,which seem to be particularly penal around the middle income. This is where the envy and frustration is felt most and I have to say that I have some sympathy.

One might ask if it is time that organisations like the BSB reviewed their parental income policy and target students who fall into this middle ground - high fees, no help from CH and no EMA. I know that the BSB are aware of this and feel that it might be time to think again.

[Mrs C.]

As I said - it`s the "in-betweens" who lose out all round.

[englishangel]

It appears to me that, as a taxpayer, I am funding the existance, maintenance, staffing etc. of schools to which youths from 5 to 18 might care to go if they have nothing else to do.

Fine, if they are not at school then I consider it only fair to assume that they are in meaningful employ and that, from their income elsewhere, they should pay for the services offered to them and not taken up. ie fine them £30 per week that they don't attend (time in hospital for injuries incurred whilst sober excluded).


Of course I can't suggest that in public because it would be read that I am trying to influence Saint Tony, alias HM Government, and any attempt to influence HM Government by any peaceful and reasonable (or violent for that matter) means whatsoever is an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000 resulting in incarceration at Saint Tony's pleasure,

How much did you pay to go to University? Neither I nor my parents paid a penny.

Not a bean, not a sou. I couldn't afford to even contemplate going to Uni even though I had the entry qualifications. I guess your parents did pay your fares to get there (or buy you the bike) , perhaps a bit of famine relief? Perhaps the odd pair of slacks etc? and you still say thay didn't pay anything?

I was 'lucky' and lived in a holiday area so I had a job every holiday from the age of 14,(even the funny two week one we had in October). I can still do silver service though it is not a talent I draw on often. My parents did drive me up to Birmingham the first time I went to Uni.and came up for my graduation, but I don't remember them giving me any other money. I had 2 settings of cutlery for my bedsit as a 19th birthday present. In my three years away I went home once mid-term, for my grandparents Diamond wedding. I would pay petrol to someone who was going in my direction or I would get the coach. And 3 train fares a year were reimbursed for people on a full grant. I didn't pay rent the holidays I was at home, but I would do a lot of the food shopping.

[Mark1]

While I'm sure that it's very easy to see EMA as money going directly from your pocket to be squandered by teenagers, and thus unfair, I think that this is a little naive. Surely Blair will have some economist telling him that, if pupils do sixth form, rather than leave school at 16, then they will become intrinsically better workers, etc, etc, with the end result that they (and Britain as a nation) will earn more, pay more more tax revenue, etc. Thus all will benefit in the long run, whatever the money is spent on, if it encourages more people to continue through A levels.
Incidentally, this tax revenue will be paying for health care, pensions, etc... it's not as simple as a waste of money...

By the way, I am on the Sixth form, and I don't get EMA, but I do support it for the above reasons.

[Laura M]

Sadly though nowadays the value of degrees has fallen, whatever people say. Alevels just aren't enough these days therefore unless people go on to uni the situation will hardly change.

[99yorkpj]

Sadly though nowadays the value of degrees has fallen, whatever people say. Alevels just aren't enough these days therefore unless people go on to uni the situation will hardly change.

It's true. It's now really hard to get a good job even with a degree... because everyone has degrees! Uni's for some subjects are asking for AAA or AAB whether they're in the Russell group Unis or not.
It's also much easier to get good now as we're taught to'jump the government hoops', rather than learning things that interest us. This means, with coursework added to the equation it is possible for almost anybody to get high grades whether they're clever or not. So now there are extra exams (e.g. AEA (advanced papers), so that the Unis are better able to distinguish between the best students and those who are simply 'jumping hoops'. It's not fair, but that seems to be the way it is these days. I'm sure thats why so many people are getting rejections this year, dispite straight 'A' grade predictions.

[sejintenej]

I was 'lucky' and lived in a holiday area so I had a job every holiday from the age of 14,(even the funny two week one we had in October). I can still do silver service though it is not a talent I draw on often. My parents did drive me up to Birmingham the first time I went to Uni.and came up for my graduation, but I don't remember them giving me any other money. I had 2 settings of cutlery for my bedsit as a 19th birthday present. In my three years away I went home once mid-term, for my grandparents Diamond wedding. I would pay petrol to someone who was going in my direction or I would get the coach. And 3 train fares a year were reimbursed for people on a full grant. I didn't pay rent the holidays I was at home, but I would do a lot of the food shopping.

Grant? what grant? For many years I had £25 pounds a year to clothe myself (including the required sports and other clothing for CH), pay my fares to CH (3 x £5 10/- or so), give my housemaster the minimum required pocket money (£1 10/- per term), buy birthday and xmas presents, etc., etc. That stopped when my 'mother' died so I left school with a fiver, a passport (a present) the clothes I stood up in plus a rucksack and bicycle (present) and a job to go to. Uni - you must be joking!

[englishangel]

From about the mid 60's university students were paid a grant depending on parental means. In years gone by it was enough to live on. Then during the vacations you either got a job or signed on unemployed (I never did). As my folks had no money BSB gave me a grant for books too.