Scrapping EMA

[TrollinaTrollpants]

will poor people really miss it?

such balls. kids don't need paying to go to 6th form. Get a weekend / holiday job like i did from 16. Good riddance to Brown's bribery .

I'm Head of VI Form at a school in a rural area with high levels of deprivation. Many of our parents do not support their children educationally - they see no reason why their very bright/motivated students want to stay on beyond GCSE to take level 3 courses. Without EMA, a lot of the students in my VI Form would be unlikely to stay at school. There are a few who literally depend on it - like the Yr 12 girl who has moved in with her grandparents after her father (who was arrested and then released last year on suspicion of murder after her mother fell down the stairs during an argument) punched her repeatedly in the head. SS and the police were involved but the girl did not want to press charges. However, she wanted to move out. Grandmother was happy to take her, but cannot finance her. Her dad is unemployed and has two younger children (one ASD)to look after. She now has to travel a fair distance to school, as well as provide her own food, clothes, essentials etc. She has been trying to find a part time job since February but so far has had no luck. Another girl was kicked out of home by her mother during the Easter holidays. She HAS a part time job, but it doesn't pay her enough to cover all her expenses. Without EMA to top up her wages slightly, she would definitely drop out of school, ditching her plan to go to university and train to be a teacher.

EMA gives some kids a level of independence they might not have otherwise - the ability to get themselves to school, to provide whatever equipment they need to provide and to do so without having to have the "I don't know why you want to do those A Levels anyway. I never did any A Levels. Why should I be paying for your art supplies/Geography trip/Theatre visit...?" conversations.

As I said I usually just lurk never posted before, my own fault for doing it on AIBU :o

There is a jobs board at 6th form, not even a pin mark in it , never been usd as there is nothing to advertise. On a good note DD has just comein and announced she has been chosen to be a "runner" at the polling station tomorrow so she gets a bit of money for herself this week.

Eviltwins there is a lot of that mentality I'm afraid, my own mum told DD that "the likes of us don't stay on at school", there are also parents from DD class mates that just see Uni as a way to get into debt and of no real use so they had to leave school at the end of year 11, most of them are unemployed now.

mrspat - that's exactly what I'm dealing with and it's so sad. Bright kids, getting B grades at A Level and Distinctions at BTEC Level 3 being told that university is pointless as they will just run up loads of debt. Many are not even considering it. Makes me and .

Can anyone explain why it is needed in this country but no other?

How do kids in other countries manage?

dont other countries have a longer education anyway?

We will have compulsary education to 18 from next year so it should cease to be an issue.

I am not sure what other European countries have compulsary education to 18, but I do not think you have the kind of anti-education mentality that so many in this country seem to have. People should WANT their children to become as highly educated as possible, and the pupils themselves should want to become as highly educated as possible. It should be made as clear as possible that it is not "cool" to be thick.

yes most other countries the leaving age is 18, I know spain is , but in that respect we are luckier here because spain you have to buy all books and materials all through school life they basicly supply the teachers and building but it is also cheaper for college and Uni .

We don't live in another country though?

Do you still get tax credits when kids are of an age to get EMA?

Our tax credits were cut when DD turned 16 we get the lower rate so as I said it was in one hand out of the other.

In many other European countries, too, not so many go to university, either. College/vocational education is seen as a viable alternative.

It's not cool to be thick, sure, but at the same time, going to university is not for everyone. There are, however, fewer and fewer viable alternatives to it in the UK, hence, a shortage of many skilled tradespeople and professionals.

MadameCastafiore

I received the same tax credits, plus child benefit until my eldest DC was 19. My income didn't change during those years and I got paid tax credits, child benefit and child maintenance until eldest DC was 19.
If your DC begin a 2 year course at 18 years old, tax credits and child benefit can be extended until they are 20 now too.
My eldest left full time education at 19, so tax credits stopped then.
HTH

Perhaps I should have mentioned my eldest DC received EMA between the ages of 16 and 19, so yes, I received tax credits for as long as my DC was receiving EMA.

ds is looking for a p/t job while at collage but he also has taken a lot a lot of extra responsiablitys at home that he does without whining or complaining .we are rural to .Also finding becuase there is a lot of adults and over 18 looking for work they are getting first pick

Ds3 has sn , dd has medical needs and I am in a wheelchair now so thats already a lot of pressure for him that most 17 year olds do not have .

But he has got name down at local pub/resturant to glass collect or wash dishes but they are even finding that some of the staff are taking on extra work there so they can be working tables one day and washing dishes the next

AFAIK tax credits and child benefit end when a child leaves compulsory education or further education. Mine is in yr 12 and doing A levels and will leave at the end of year 13 aged 18 when EMA, CTC and CB ends. If a year is repeated then CTC and CB will be paid until aged 19. EMA will be scrapped at the end of year 13 (I think).

It's only paid the extra year in further education not higher (uni) as grants and loans will come into play.