Young people deserve more respect than this partial u-turn on EMA

29 March 2011

Commenting on the Secretary of State for Education's announcement about the Education Maintenance Allowance, Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, the largest teachers' union, said:

"The Secretary of State's partial U-turn on EMA today confirms that, under this Coalition Government, education policy is being made far too hastily, and is based on whim, prejudice and elitist ideology. Young people deserve far more respect than they have been shown today.

"Despite today's announcement, the truth is that there remains a large cloud of uncertainty hanging over many young people who still do not know whether the value of their original EMA entitlement is guaranteed or is likely to be less than they had previously received.

"The Secretary of State needs to clarify where the money is coming from to fund his latest promise. It would be a travesty if this partial restoration of EMA is to be achieved by cuts to other education and training programmes.

"The Coalition Government has mounted an unprecedented and unjustified ideological assault on young people during its first 10 months in office through cuts to EMA, tuition fees and BSF.

"Only by reinstating fully the EMA programme can the Secretary of State begin to restore any credibility with today's students, particularly those from less advantaged backgrounds.”

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