EMA cuts: Teenagers hit hard by government's surprise decision to scrap the EMA
When the education secretary, Michael Gove, was interviewed by Education Guardian readers before the general election, he flatly denied that the education maintenance allowance (EMA) was for the chop, saying: "Ed Balls keeps saying that we are committed to scrapping the EMA. I have never said this. We won't."
So it was a surprise to many to hear, in last week's spending review, that the EMA was to be among the casualties. The allowance, which dates back to 1944, was revised by the Labour government into a means-tested national scheme supporting young people from lower-income families in 16-19 education. The chancellor, George Osborne, said the £30 weekly payment was to be replaced by "more targeted support", though he did not say what.
And while the government claims it is putting more money into education for school-aged children, 16- to 19-year-olds appear to have been left out in the cold. As well as abolishing the EMA, the government plans to reduce the amount of funding per student for sixth-formers. Meanwhile, it has promised to double the number of apprenticeships – but only for over-19s - and plans to lift the cap on tuition fees, which means that the dream of a university education for today's sixth-formers could come with a £40k price tag attached.
John Stone, chief executive of the Learning and Skills Network, which now runs Reading College, says 16-19s, along with adult learners, have been the hardest hit by the spending review. "The biggest question is whether colleges will be covered by the same funding guarantees as schools, but early signs suggest funding will go down. The challenge for the sector will be finding ways to protect learners, and to make sure teaching and learning is not affected."
So how do 16- to 19-year-olds, and those who represent them, feel about their prospects in the light of the spending review?
Toni Pearce, 20, Student Union president at Cornwall College
When David Cameron visited our college just before the election, he promised me personally, in front of a group of students, that he would not scrap the EMA. So it was a bit of a kick in the face to hear that's exactly what has happened. They are excluding a lot of young people from further education. In rural areas, like Cornwall, travel can be a real barrier to participation in education and training, but cuts to local authority funding may also threaten travel subsidies for FE students.
Lee Christian, 17, is studying for A-levels at Harlow College
I moved away from Cornwall to do my A-levels because I wanted to raise my aspirations. No one on my mum's side of the family has ever gone on to further education, and no one has a job at the moment. I didn't want to end up on benefits. I now live with my nan, but she is in her late sixties and her pension doesn't stretch too far, so the EMA is vital for me. I didn't have access to a computer at home, so last year I saved it all up and bought a laptop for my college work. Ultimately, I want to join the police, but I wanted to get a degree first so I could progress more quickly. But with rising tuition fees, I'm wondering if it is really worth it.
Alex Maynard, 17, is studying for A-levels at Bayhouse school and sixth form, Gosport, Hampshire
I'm not surprised to hear the EMA is being abolished, because it is so open to abuse. While I realise it's vital for some students, a lot of young people round here could do without it. I often hear people saying they're waiting for their weekly payment so they can go shopping, to the cinema or out for lunch. I get the EMA, but I don't really need the money. I'm eligible because I live with my mum, who earns less than £16,000 a year. My dad earns loads more, but that isn't taken into account. I get my EMA transferred straight into a savings account for university.
James Roushas, 17, is working towards an apprenticeship in engineering at Canterbury College
I got good grades in my GCSEs, so my teachers were pushing me to go to university, but the news about rising tuition fees has reassured me I made the right decision. I think loads more young people will be looking for apprenticeships in the next few years. I earn around £13k a year working at a local engineering company, and study part-time at college. My company will support me to study up to degree level if I want to go that far. The government is putting a lot of money into vocational learning, but they are concentrating on adult apprenticeships, so where does that leave 16- to 19-year-olds?
Katy Horgan, 16, is studying for A-levels at Peter Symonds, a sixth-form college in Winchester, Hampshire
The cuts announced in the spending review seem to be hitting people who are already having a tough time the hardest. My mum died when I was seven, so my dad is the only wage earner in our household. He lost his job two years ago, so money is really tight and I rely on the EMA to cover my travel costs from Basingstoke to college in Winchester every day. It's only an 18-minute journey, but it costs me over £350 a term in train fares. And now I hear we're also going to have to weather a 3% rise in rail fares. I do wonder if the government is putting up tuition fees because it wants to discourage young people from going to university and set their sights a bit lower. I still want to go to university, because I want to be a barrister, and I need a degree for that, but the prospect of running up over £40k of debt is depressing.
Tom Grant Jones, 19, Student Union president, City College Norwich
In the run-up to the election, all three party leaders made a video to shown at the NUS conference in April. In Nick Clegg's video, he said he would fight any cuts to education – and look what has happened. So how are we to trust the government when they say they are going to replace the EMA with "more targeted support"? Around 45% of our 16-19 students get the EMA. If students are not able to complete post-16, they are not likely to go on to university, apprenticeships or training. By cutting the EMA, the government has removed the bridge between school and higher education or training. And with higher education now out of reach for many because of rising fees, apprenticeships may well become the preserve of the middle classes.
Alex Huston, 16, is studying for A-levels at Campbell College, Belfast
It's a tough time to be a teenager, because we're going to spend the next few decades paying for the excesses of our parents' generation. I was pleased to see the EMA had been cut, because few young people use it to help with their education. Most spend it on alcohol and clothes. But I am very unhappy about rising tuition fees. The trouble is, everyone wants to go to university now, even if they are not academic. But we don't need people with degrees in silly subjects like sports management from some university in the middle of nowhere. But jobs for school-leavers are scarce. Many end up going to university simply because they believe they won't get a job.
Shane Chowen, 21, is vice-president (further education) of the National Union of Students
The plan to abolish the EMA will be devastating news to thousands of young people who rely on that support to complete their post-16 education. The government is still calling it an "incentive", when in reality it is a vital source of support for young people from low-income families. Another big worry is the loss of funding for level 2 (GCSE-equivalent) qualifications for over-25s, which means those who were failed by the education system the first time round won't get a second chance unless they have the money to pay for it.