Protestors against plans to axe the education maintenance allowance (EMA)
are taking their message to the heart of government tomorrow (January 11).
College and sixth-form students will be joined by staff and trade unions, as
they put the case to save the EMA to MPs in a special meeting in the House of
Commons.
Studies show that the EMA – a weekly payment of between £10 and £30 – is
a key factor in improving participation in further education and colleges.
Some of the most deprived areas of the UK will be the hardest hit if the
government breaks its pre-election promise and scraps the EMA.
In some areas of Birmingham, Leicester and the north west, as many as four-
fifths of students receive the extra support.
A recent Education at a Glance report, by the Organisation for Economic Co-
operation and Development (OECD) revealed that the UK has one of the worst
participation rates for 15-19 year-olds in education.
Dave Prentis, UNISONÕs General Secretary, said:
ÒCutting the EMA is a false economy. These young people need that extra
help to allow them to continue in education.
“Many come from the poorest and most vulnerable backgrounds and deserve
all the support they can get to give them a fair chance at finding work.
ÒThe government must think again, as there is an alternative to these cuts.
Jobs could be safeguarded and vital public services protected if the
government clamped down on tax dodgers and forced the banks who caused
the recession to pay a Robin Hood Tax.
“These savage cuts can only lead to a lost generation and bulging dole
queues.Ó
The campaign is being run by UNISON, the National Union of Students (NUS),
the National Union of Teachers (NUT), the University and College Union (UCU),
the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), NASUWT, Unite, GMB and the
Save EMA campaign.