EMA

[JoeyB]

What he's basically said is that anyone who receives EMA does so thanks to lack of effort in school on their parent's part.

I didnt mean it like that, and im sorry if it offended people in cases.

In quite a lot of cases though, it will ring true.

If your dad retired at 52, those are exceptional circumstances.

the first point is what im trying to get across, like TPH has just said their are exceptional circumstanes, and im sorry if i upset you again

He seemed to suggest in some cases.

To be honest, if I came from a household where my parents earned enough that I didn't qualify, yet I earned my keep only to see my peers having money thrown at them, I would be a tad pissed off too.

Thanks, so its not just me then.

[Guest]

Maybe they are pushing people to stay in education to further there futures, instead of them finishing at 16 and claiming more than £30 a week? There are alot of people who do want to learn and improve academically who claim EMA. Its not all doss abouts.

To be honest I can see why the older generation dont like the idea of EMA because it wasnt around when they were younger but I dont see what difference it makes to younger kids.

I dont get EMA but I am not fussed that my mates and others at my school are getting it. Dont see why it should matter to others.

Ok, let's get things straight.

Pushing people into staying on in education is wrong. The kids who stay on because of money would have done things like apprenticeships, back in the day. To suggest that taking this direction would have been detrimental is wrong. Many apprentices have gone on to bigger and better things.

Also, back in the day, those who were more academic stayed on. Seeing as most 6th formers live at home, there is no reason for any "maintenance support". Real "maintenance support" is needed at higher level, where young adults leave the comfort of the home to fend for themselves. We used to have a grant to help those from lower income homes, but these are now non-existent. However, we can throw money at 16 year olds, still living with their parents, who would not have stayed on at school had they not been bribed with £30 easy money a week.

Perhaps this is why the older generations might be more cynical?

[Uncle Albert]

Thanks, so its not just me then.

Would you be pissed off if you were able to get EMA? No you wouldnt.

Would you then think your parents were failures? No you wouldnt.

[The People's Hero]

Yeah. What Lisa said.

There's a lot of them reading now, Lisa, we might have to bail out soon.

[Guest]

Yeah. What Lisa said.

There's a lot of them reading now, Lisa, we might have to bail out soon.

I'm bailing. It's past my bedtime, apparently

[Uncle Albert]

Yeah. What Lisa said.

There's a lot of them reading now, Lisa, we might have to bail out soon.

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

I'm not belittling anyone.

We're at cross purposes. I'm saying it's a stupid concept and it's execution has been abysmal. My criticism is of the concept that the state (thanks to the taxpayer) having already provided the opportunity of a free education post 16 should then also bribe people to take advantage of it.

You are then defending the concept by saying that you 'know many people who receive the payments' who are 'sensible, intelligent and approachable'.

The points you make are entirely irrelevant to this argument.

I clearly wasn't defending the basic concept of EMA, I was defending the "typical recepient". The type of people that don't seem very popular judging by some of the assumptions made, not just by you, by by other people on here.

I think that the "mobile phone shouting / picnic eating in libraries" comment by Lisa proves my point.

[The People's Hero]

Finish college, go to work for a few years etc etc etc and then come back and argue with me.

Not everything is as black and white as it might appear at 15/16/17.

[Uncle Albert]

Finish college, go to work for a few years etc etc etc and then come back and argue with me.

Not everything is as black and white as it might appear at 15/16/17.

I'll keep it in mind.

[filbertway]

£10 at college would pay my booze for atleast 1.5 nights, boy that would have been great!!!! Wait, my taxes pay you feckers to get pissed, you feckers best buy me a beer every time I see you atleast!!

I don't even feel guilty . I'm paying it all back...slowly but surely, slowly but surely.

[The People's Hero]

I'll keep it in mind.

Seriously, you'll look back on this and cringe.

You need to be able to look at it as a concept as an an initiative itself and it's effect on a number of different things... not just your own family situation.

We're operating on different planes though.. you'll probably find that when you've grown up a bit and matured some, you'll agree with me.

Operating from a teenage egocentric point of view, I'm sure you have some valid points.

[Uncle Albert]

Seriously, you'll look back on this and cringe.

You need to be able to look at it as a concept as an an initiative itself and it's effect on a number of different things... not just your own family situation.

We're operating on different planes though.. you'll probably find that when you've grown up a bit and matured some, you'll agree with me.

Operating from a teenage egocentric point of view, I'm sure you have some valid points.

My own family situation?

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

I think I've argued valiantly .

[Flynny]

Ok, let's get things straight.

Pushing people into staying on in education is wrong. The kids who stay on because of money would have done things like apprenticeships, back in the day. To suggest that taking this direction would have been detrimental is wrong. Many apprentices have gone on to bigger and better things.

Also, back in the day, those who were more academic stayed on. Seeing as most 6th formers live at home, there is no reason for any "maintenance support". Real "maintenance support" is needed at higher level, where young adults leave the comfort of the home to fend for themselves. We used to have a grant to help those from lower income homes, but these are now non-existent. However, we can throw money at 16 year olds, still living with their parents, who would not have stayed on at school had they not been bribed with £30 easy money a week.

Perhaps this is why the older generations might be more cynical?

Can be wrong =/= IS wrong.

EMA is a financial carrot to encourage people to stay on, it's not the same as being "pushed" which implies a hefty bit more stick. Not only this, but it stops kids working all hours and neglecting their college work, for the most part.

I can say honestly I'd probably not have got into Bristol without it. One of my B's was by 4 marks, if I'd have been working all my weekends I could easily have lost that. At the same time my family situation couldn't have been more dire. Mum was making about 12k, my dad fooked off for the 2nd time in 2 years, this time with another women, and he left my mum pregnant and now with kids aged 0, 16 and 19. I'm the first person in my family going to university and I'm going to a fucking good one. It's a miniscule amount of money in context and if it helps one kid in a hundred it's fucking worth it. Frankly I don't give two shits if half of you aren't trying to be personal, it's insulting.

[The People's Hero]

My own family situation?

Whatever... whatever the reason is you're taking this so personally, whatever the reason is that you attacked someone else for making a general point.

[Uncle Albert]

Whatever... whatever the reason is you're taking this so personally, whatever the reason is that you attacked someone else for making a general point.

No I attacked him because I dont think its fair to say that people who get EMA are people who's parents didnt try at school. Which is abit harsh to say isnt it?

I am not fussed about people who get EMA or they dont get it, but if an idiot is saying its because of parents failures then I will say something. Because that isnt fair to say, he doesnt know what anybody's personal lifes are like just like I dont and you dont.

[Joe.]

Whatever... whatever the reason is you're taking this so personally, whatever the reason is that you attacked someone else for making a general point.

Well the point was absolute bollocks though to be fair.

I don't agree with the system, you can see my views on EMA a page or two back but that comment was horribly generalised.

[filbertway]

It may be messed up, but how it reads is people are blaming/ripping into the kids (me last 2 years) for taking the money. Hence why some are getting defensive?

Who honestly wouldn't take the money if it was offered?

Paid for some good drinking time either way

[Alexikokopops]

Ema was the first girl I got totally infatuated with.

I followed her everywhere for two years and never even got to cop so much as a feel.

She ended up barefoot and pregnant to a smack-head.

Ha! This is what happens to those who would spurn me.

My 17 year old cousin is pregant to a 32 year old former heroin addict and jail bird. True story.

Why should you get paid to study? It's for your own good.

You don't HAVE to go to study?

I don't get it.

And the better places it could go have all been listed. If it has been earmarked for education then great, use it to improve standards of education in our schools. It shouldn't be used to bribe no hopers or 50/50 do I/don't I's? to continue their education for 2 years when they don't really want to be there.

It's ill thought out.

Ok, let's get things straight.

Pushing people into staying on in education is wrong. The kids who stay on because of money would have done things like apprenticeships, back in the day. To suggest that taking this direction would have been detrimental is wrong. Many apprentices have gone on to bigger and better things.

Also, back in the day, those who were more academic stayed on. Seeing as most 6th formers live at home, there is no reason for any "maintenance support". Real "maintenance support" is needed at higher level, where young adults leave the comfort of the home to fend for themselves. We used to have a grant to help those from lower income homes, but these are now non-existent. However, we can throw money at 16 year olds, still living with their parents, who would not have stayed on at school had they not been bribed with £30 easy money a week.

Perhaps this is why the older generations might be more cynical?

I hold a similar view to these two

Can be wrong =/= IS wrong.

EMA is a financial carrot to encourage people to stay on, it's not the same as being "pushed" which implies a hefty bit more stick. Not only this, but it stops kids working all hours and neglecting their college work, for the most part.

I can say honestly I'd probably not have got into Bristol without it. One of my B's was by 4 marks, if I'd have been working all my weekends I could easily have lost that. At the same time my family situation couldn't have been more dire. Mum was making about 12k, my dad fooked off for the 2nd time in 2 years, this time with another women, and he left my mum pregnant and now with kids aged 0, 16 and 19. I'm the first person in my family going to university and I'm going to a fucking good one. It's a miniscule amount of money in context and if it helps one kid in a hundred it's fucking worth it. Frankly I don't give two shits if half of you aren't trying to be personal, it's insulting.

I viewed part of Lisa's point was that yes, it may help one kid in a hundred, but there's much better ways of doing it that would increase this rather than just on parent's income. There are cases (like yours) where the EMA was hugely important (congratulations on getting to Bristol, it's a good University and a good city), but there are cases where the EMA is wasted every week, plus I imagine there are cases where people who aren't entitled to the EMA could probably benefit from it (where step-parents are having to pay maintenance for previous children for instance, yet just fit above the threshold). Willingness to learn has been thrown around in here for example.

I probably haven't worded that well. Can't we just go back to saying all EMA receivers are drunken dope addicts who're glue sniffers? I'm not good at wording serious things.

[Libertine]

This is crazy. Everyone needs to chill out a bit.

Fair enough, in general EMA is a pretty ridiculous and unnecessary idea, and the vast majority of people spend it on rubbish.

But some people (e.g. myself) aren't as well off as others and need money for travel etc. Especially when they only have one parent, whether it be because of death or them just not being around.

I think everyone would agree that it should be much more selective as to who recieves EMA.

[Brainy]

:laugh: this thread looks good.

I think i might actually go back and look through the 200 odd posts.

[Tevez]

Its a fooking con, im in college, and do my parents give me £30 a week, for my college stuff, do they bollocks, yes they give me my food, and drink when im at home, but clothes, pens, pencils, etc i have to pay for with my job, (although they have just paid £40 for college books/ trip money) and £25 car parking pass.

but people in my class who get EMA spend it on Fags, Booze, and drivin, lessons, all because their parents didnt try hard when they were at school.

Its a **** con i tell you, **** con

****.

[Daz.I]

EMA.. legend

[Wycombe Fox]

Not only this, but it stops kids working all hours and neglecting their college work, for the most part.

Re-phrase to "...it stops kids who get EMA working all hours and neglecting their college work..."

What about the kids whose household income is above the threshold who don't get EMA? Is it OK for them to be working all hours just because their parents earn more than others?

The government has made this global assumption that anyone who earns more than the income threshold has disposable income of up to £120 per month per child.

The scheme is seriously flawed. I'm not against EMA as long as everybody or nobody is eligible as I said many posts ago, together with more sensible proposals for its application (see http://www.foxestalk.co.uk/forums/index.ph...&p=1118448)

Awarding EMA should be nothing to do with household income. It should be based upon the child's performance at school pre-16 and thereby encouraging the child to take responsibility for whether he/she receives it or not.

How can it be based upon a figure regardless of how many dependant children that figure has to support in the family environment.

As it stands, EMA is a devisive, ill thought-out scheme.

[Samilktray]

Whatever... whatever the reason is you're taking this so personally, whatever the reason is that you attacked someone else for making a general point.

God I love you.