Andy Burnham urged to revive ‘allowance scheme’ for poorer college students axed by Tories
EXCLUSIVE: TUC boss Paul Nowak tells The Mirror scrapping Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) was a ‘hammer blow’ for kids from low-income backgrounds in England
Andy Burnham criticised the Tory decision in 2010 to axe EMA(Image: Phil Lewis/SOPA Images/Shutterstock)
Andy Burnham has been urged to revive an allowance scheme axed by the Tories that provided young students from poorer families up to £30-per-week.
Trades Union Congress (TUC) boss Paul Nowak told The Mirror scrapping Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) was a “hammer blow” for kids from low-income backgrounds in England.
It was introduced in 1999 and provided weekly payments of up to £30 in an attempt to encourage young people to stay in education beyond the end of compulsory schooling.
The means-tested scheme was abolished in England in 2011 under George Osborne’s austerity programme – but the payments still remain in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Mr Nowak said Labour reintroducing a scheme similar to EMA could also help the new Prime Minister in the government’s mission to reduce the number of 16-24-year-olds classed as ‘Neets’.
Just under one million young people – those not in education, employment, or training – fall into the category with a government review on the issue due shortly.
The TUC is now calling for a ‘Youth Learning Allowance’ to be made available to young people who have started an education or training course in FE between the ages of 16 to 20.
Mr Nowak – the TUC General Secretary – told The Mirror: “A new youth learning allowance would support kids to stay in education – and help their long-term job prospects.”
He added: “No matter your background, all young people should be able to stay in education or training without having to worry about their finances. But the Conservatives scrapped the EMA in 2011 – and replaced it with an inadequate scheme which didn’t touch the sides.
“That decision has been a hammer blow to kids from low income backgrounds and their chances of staying in education after the age of 16.
“We know financial help can make the difference between staying on or walking away – and countries that lead the way in bringing their NEET rates down provide far more support.
“The government recognises this. That’s why ministers have introduced a new bursary to support young people doing apprenticeships. It’s time this principle was applied to post-16 education too.”
EMA, which helped thousands of young people from lower-income families stay on at school post-16, was scrapped by the Coalition government 15 years ago.
The move was criticised at the time by the then-Shadow Education Secretary, Mr Burnham, who called on the Tories and Lib Dems to rethink the “unfair decision to scrap EMA”.
He said of his then opposite number Michael Gove: “He’s taken a successful scheme – that boosted participation, attendance and attainment in post-16 education – and turned it into a total shambles.”
