16-19 Participation in education

Written Evidence Submitted by Save EMA Campaign

The Save EMA campaign represents millions of young people, students and education professionals across the country. The campaign includes the Save EMA campaign, the National Union of Students (NUS), the University and College Unison (UCU), Unison, the National Union of Teachers (NUT), the GMB, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), and NASUWT.

What impact the Education Maintenance Allowance has had on the participation, attendance, achievement and welfare of young people

The Save EMA campaign has spoken to thousands of young people, students, teachers and lecturers over the last few months. Each young person who has taken part in the campaign has been passionate and innovative about protecting the EMA. Many of them will have submitted their own evidence to the inquiry but here is a collection of some of the things many young people have raised with the campaign.

Some themes around the EMA and access to education were frequently raised during the campaign:

1. EMA has improved student motivation, punctuality and attendance

Young people who receive EMA do not get it without meeting the conditions of their learner agreement. They must attend, be punctual and behave well in order to receive their payment. EMA in this instance encourages young people to be responsible for their own actions and lets them know that if they work hard and need help, that help will be forthcoming.

Students and teachers fear that the abolition of EMA will have a negative impact on student retention and discourage students from enrolling in the first instance.

2. EMA gives a wider choice to young people in further education system

Many young people have said that EMA has played a pivotal role in the personal decision process of what they went on to study and where. For example, in London we have had many young people who have decided to commute to colleges offering courses many miles from where they live that their local college did not offer. This has been matched in more rural areas where again young people have had a choice in apprenticeship courses, where previously they would have been forced to pursue only

3. EMA recipient have been increasing with the economic downturn

EMA is a means tested payment that requires the applicant to disclose household income. There has been an upsurge in applicants to EMA in the past year, and this has been matched by many young people who have contacted us stating that due to wider economic circumstances affecting their family income they either now receive or would receive EMA.

There is a growing concern that the government’s current funding for the replacement for EMA does not recognise this and we have many young people who are left in limbo about their future as a result.

4. Parents/carers will not be able to replace the lost funding

Students who depend on the EMA do not have families that can easily replace the lost income. Some families have more than one child in further or higher education and just could not afford to fill the funding gap. On more than one occasion the Save EMA campaign has heard from young people who contribute some of their EMA to the running of their household.

5. Travel costs are a major concern

A majority of young people spend their EMA on travelling to and from their place of study. This is especially so in rural and semi-rural areas where travel over large distances is required for young people to access education. Local authority cuts mean an end to many young people’s transport subsidies; before this cut many young people incurred costs for travel that were greater than the EMA awarded to them on a weekly basis.

6. Course equipment can be expensive.

Young people, often on vocational courses, struggle to pay for essentials for their courses. During the course of the campaign we heard from catering students who need to buy specific clothing and knives just to access their courses; dance and performing arts students who need specific footwear; construction students who need footwear to be allowed on site; maths and science students who need scientific calculators and electrical installation students who need specific tools and clothing.

7. EMAs give young people a sense of financial independence

Young people enjoy having a level of financial independence and being able to pay their own bus fare without having to rely on their parents/carers. A number of young people we have spoken to would feel guilty asking their parents to support them knowing that family income is tight.

For young people who have been in the social care system, this financial independence is often the first chance they have had to manage a budget of their own and to be awarded money for their own actions, not via their carers from social services.

8. Young people are determined to stay in education but would have had to make sacrifices and tough choices without EMA

The current generation of young people have been told time and time again that education is the way to better themselves and society. Even though it would cause many of them serious financial hardship and many would go without food while at college if they didn’t have their EMA, they place a high importance on education and would do their best to struggle through. For many young people it feels like that determination is used against them when the fact that many would try to stay on in education despite hardship is described as ‘deadweight’.

9. Past recipients and the families of young people are also scared for their children’s prospects

We have also contacted by many thousands of parents and siblings of young people either in receipt of or could be in receipt of EMA, who are fearful of what the loss of EMA will do to them and their family’s lives. It is sometimes forgotten that EMA not only helps those who directly receive EMA but also those who benefit from the scheme indirectly.

We have also been contacted by past recipients who attribute EMA as playing a key role in their personal advancement in the education system and are fearful for the next generation.

10. The economic case for EMA is one which has constantly been raised in it defence

Many people have pointed out that cutting funding to further education when the 16-17 youth unemployment rate is rising and the number of Neets is increasing seems irresponsible and sends the wrong message to young people from government. Numerous studies by respected independent bodies such as the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) demonstrate that not only does EMA increase levels of participation in post-16 education, but that any costs are completely offset. In addition, the Audit Commission support this and claim that it saves UK taxpayers about £4bn a year, by preventing young people becoming Neets (not in education, employment or training). Furthermore, many well respected and impartial economists have also defended the scheme. When a government is seen to be going against not only public opinion ( YouGov poll in January 2011 showed almost half of British public oppose abolition of EMA), but also academic advise this breeds negative and harmful vies amongst young people.

The welfare aspect of EMA is very important. This campaign’s experience is that often EMA is used to help young people eat lunch when out at college, sixth form or training. It is not a healthy situation for young people to skip meals in order to study and this can also impact on achievement.

28th March 2011