MPs will be debating on whether to scrap Education Maintenance Allowance in Parliament tomorrow (Wednesday 19th January).
Back in December, you may remember that residents concerned about the abolition of the EMA held a peaceful demo outside Andrew Turner’s office in Newport.
Mr Turner was only able to attend the end of the demo, so agreed to meet up with protesters at a later date.
That meeting took place last Friday.
Jackie Hawkins who attended the meeting with around ten young people, told VB that a petition against the cut has attracted 300 local signatures.
How successful was the meeting?
Here’s a selection of what the young people had to say following the meeting (they’ve chosen to remain anonymous).
“It was clear from the responses we received that the implications of having higher unemployment and a less well educated workforce had not been thought through as a result of increases in tuition fees and fewer students achieving their potential. Additionally, the answers given with regard to the scrapping of EMA were out of touch with many Island students facing difficult decisions on whether to progress with their education.”
“I felt the meeting was unsuccessful, but I’m glad we tried and fought for the island!”
“I was happy to meet with Andrew Turner, but felt a very negative approach to EMA, while on the topic of tuition fees, we found common ground more than I originally thought we would. Overall I think we did what we could, and it’s now down to Andrew to do right by his constituents.”
“I suggested a possible ‘Wiemar Republic’ outcome from the rise in tuition fees and higher pay out after university, to which he responded with ‘Well we hope that won’t happen’.”
“After a two-hour discussion with our MP, various points came across. One being the lack of consultation from higher government to local MPs as well as schools and councils, as the full alternative plans to EMA are not yet known. Because of the council’s reorganisation plans to the Islands education system, it made it very difficult to discuss how these education cuts will affect Island children because of the council’s secrecy concerning the new sixth forms from September. What I found most distressing is the fact that schools have not been contacted or consulted by the government concerning these cuts.
As for the rise in tuition fees, I felt that we had many similar ideas, some being very different to the traditional ‘Tory’ line. However, I would just like to urge Andrew to really act on these beliefs and to see that a rise in tuition fees will not help any of these issues at all; which I believe he is aware of as he stated: ‘I voted yes for the rise in tuition fees; mainly to raise money and help the countries debt’.”
“He has now realised that some sort of scheme needs to be put into place before EMA gets scrapped”
“We discussed the alternative for EMA, which will be the Discretionary Learners Fund; we expressed our concerns that schools will be given the admin task of deciding who will be given financial help. Our main concerns being staffing and confidentiality; he has invited us to discuss this further with him, once the details have been finalised and made public. We also explained to him that not all students misused their EMA and that most students use it to buy books etcetera to further their knowledge of the subjects that they are studying. We also suggested many alternatives we felt could ensure financial help is given to people who really need it, instead of the Discretionary Learners Fund’s route through schools.
On the subject of tuition fees, we did find common ground, especially surrounding so called ‘mickey mouse’ degrees, although we had differences of opinions on how to deal with this, and rather than just ‘pulling the rug out’ by increasing fees, a change to the system whereby less importance is placed on having a degree to get meaningful employment would be preferably.”
“Ultimately we asked Andrew Turner to campaign for the reopening of the whole debate into higher education as we felt, as did other MPs, including some Conservatives, that it had not been debated sufficiently and had been hurried through Parliament without the consequences properly thought through.”
Have you had your say?
Andrew Turner told protesters that he’d only received contact from around 30 people, with only half of those opposed to the cut of the allowance.
Organisers of the demo are asking anyone who is concerned about the scrapping of this allowance, to get in touch with Andrew Turner by email to make their views known.
Email Andrew Turner on [email protected]
Image: Andrew Moss Photography under CC BY 2.0
