EMA (split from Costa Coffee)

[Duke Fame]

As we combined the school and collages together to save money, we reduced public transport and don’t provide safe cycle ways – is it not reasonable for us to provide some help to students to cover the travel costs of travel collages?

The two colleges are within 4 miles of each other, surely it's not hard to cycle to college? With obesity as it is, surely the state should not be sponsoring unhealthy lifestyles and encouraging cycling/walking to college .

[Dave]

As we combined the school and collages together to save money,

On the contrary, schools and colleges are completely separate around here. 

[ringi]

As we combined the school and collages together to save money, we reduced public transport and don’t provide safe cycle ways – is it not reasonable for us to provide some help to students to cover the travel costs of travel collages?

[Duke Fame]

PGCE time is an investment of a year in return of a guaranteed career with generous conditions .....

That is an amazing statement.

What colour is the sun you can see from your planet Duke?

I don't see is for six whole weeks in the summer Harry

[Harry]

PGCE time is an investment of a year in return of a guaranteed career with generous conditions .....

That is an amazing statement.

What colour is the sun you can see from your planet Duke?

[Duke Fame]

Adding on to my previous point concerning the new rules for the bursary.  I am aware of genuine cases of hardship as the students involved no longer receive financial support or just a token amount.  This has led to lack of finance even for food during the day which impairs academic performance.  In the cases I am aware of this does not mean any available finance is spent on cigarettes, scratch cards or Duke's special interest publications.

I am well aware that in an ideal world young people should be supported by their parents through education or be pro-active enough to work (This could be a cue for the Four Yorkshiremen sketch).  However. the fact remains that in some cases this is not possible due to the economic situation some families find themselves in.

Finally, and slightly off-subject, I am intrigued to to find out what Duke's dicoteque was 

Sadly the demand for Duke's special interest publications and waned a little since the invention of the internet. Kids are able to ahem research online now.

Duke's dicoteque was a right little money spinner, analyse your market, when have the kids got money? Usually at the start of term and after Christmas when their parents have given them cash. Go have a word with the local night club owner and guarantee him a headcount of 1000 kids with fake Id's and it's time to meet uncle Bob.

For My login is Henrietta, the PGCE training is somewhat different to how EMA was doled out. PGCE time is an investment of a year in return of a guaranteed career with generous conditions for which any bank will allow a generous overdraft to see you through.

EMA had good intentions but the scheme in place now is far better targeted. It's ridiculous that Newsagents are having to employ retirees to deliver papers whilst normally fit kids don't want to do these jobs. Part-time jobs are character-building and help kids to prioritise their work - life balance.

[Water Rat]

Adding on to my previous point concerning the new rules for the bursary.  I am aware of genuine cases of hardship as the students involved no longer receive financial support or just a token amount.  This has led to lack of finance even for food during the day which impairs academic performance.  In the cases I am aware of this does not mean any available finance is spent on cigarettes, scratch cards or Duke's special interest publications.

I am well aware that in an ideal world young people should be supported by their parents through education or be pro-active enough to work (This could be a cue for the Four Yorkshiremen sketch).  However. the fact remains that in some cases this is not possible due to the economic situation some families find themselves in.

Finally, and slightly off-subject, I am intrigued to to find out what Duke's dicoteque was 

[jethroh65]

True, most will spend it on drugs.

When I was a lad the incentive to get an education was errr to get an education. To finance my indulgences I had a paper round, sold black market computer games, organised club nights at the local dicoteque, sold special interest publications to my peers, did a few evenings at Tesco & played a bit of football.

If kids don't have to try, they'll not value what they achieve.

Could you be any more generic or patronising? 

I recieved EMA for 3 years while I was at college, as did most of my friends, yet everyone used the money for travel and food etc. I also worked 2 or 3 days a week while I was at college and certainly didn't spend any money on drugs.

Generalising and insulting young people is just as offensive as someone doing the same about old people, or disabled people, or any other group. 

Exactly the point I was trying to make, but put in a more reasoned and precise manner.
The EMA obviously helped towards achieving the educational standards required to construct the above well balanced reply.

[marpudlian]

True, most will spend it on drugs.

When I was a lad the incentive to get an education was errr to get an education. To finance my indulgences I had a paper round, sold black market computer games, organised club nights at the local dicoteque, sold special interest publications to my peers, did a few evenings at Tesco & played a bit of football.

If kids don't have to try, they'll not value what they achieve.

Could you be any more generic or patronising? 

I recieved EMA for 3 years while I was at college, as did most of my friends, yet everyone used the money for travel and food etc. I also worked 2 or 3 days a week while I was at college and certainly didn't spend any money on drugs.

Generalising and insulting young people is just as offensive as someone doing the same about old people, or disabled people, or any other group. 

[Water Rat]

EMA was abused by a minority of students but did provide valuable support for the "less well off".  It originally replaced the minor discretionary awards from the local authorities and was funded through central government.

It has been replaced by the 16-19 Bursary Fund.

Students in the following groups may receive the maximum bursary of £1,200 a year:

•young people in care
•care leavers
•young people claiming income support in their own name
•disabled young people who receive both Employment Support Allowance and Disability Living Allowance in their own name

To receive the maximum bursary their course must last for 30 weeks or more. If the course is shorter than 30 weeks, they may receive less.

Other students facing genuine financial difficulties may be awarded a bursary at the discretion of their school, college or training provider.

Unlike the EMA, schools, colleges and training providers will be responsible for awarding bursaries to students. With the exception of the £1,200 bursaries for students most in need, they decide on the amount. They will also decide when bursaries are paid, and will set conditions that students should meet to receive a bursary, for example, linked to behaviour or attendance.

This has seen a reduction in number of students who qualify and a reduction in enrolment at a number of local colleges.

[My login is Henrietta]

Another reason for splitting it out is so that it can be locked if the pair of you continue trading insults in the way you have been so far. Neither of you, and Duke in particular, are complying with my request for better manners on the board this year and I want to be able to lock the topic without preventing others continuing with the Costa Coffee thread.

Good for you , Mr Admin. I've spent most of this afternoon working on lowering my blood pressure and this thread has made mincemeat of my efforts!

[My login is Henrietta]

True, most will spend it on drugs.

When I was a lad the incentive to get an education was errr to get an education. To finance my indulgences I had a paper round, sold black market computer games, organised club nights at the local dicoteque, sold special interest publications to my peers, did a few evenings at Tesco & played a bit of football.

If kids don't have to try, they'll not value what they achieve.

"Sold blackmarket computer games" So you think it's better to finance an education by breaking the law? What a brilliant idea. Why haven't the government thought of that one?

[My login is Henrietta]

"They have the EMA at the moment, they don't have to do any work to suplement their lifestyle. It should all change when the government abolish it. "

 EMA isnt payable any more, and all the students I know all have part time jobs to supplement their life style, and those that havent try hard to get one!

Exactly. When I went to teacher training college we had grants to finance us and college rules didn't allow us to have jobs in term time. Did that make us feckless and idle? I worked hard for my qualification and more than paid back what I'd cost the country through the work that I did in the state education sector and in the taxes I paid.

So yah-boo-sucks, Mr Fame.

And just remember that if it wasn't for a once "feckless" student who became a teacher you wouldn't have the ability to post on a site like this because you wouldn't know how to read and write - indeed, you might not have survived the polio epidemic in the 1950s or the typhoid and smallpox outbreaks in the 1960s if it wasn't for the "feckless" students who became medical researchers and doctors

[admin]

Sorry but I don't understand why my reply to a Duke Fame post on this subject as been moved to miscellaneous where no one will read it?
It is okay for Duke Fame to wage what is series of insults upon the young people of Marple for all to see, but any replies are hidden away.
 

I've moved your question to the new thread Jethro.

The posts about EMA were split out from the Costa Coffee thread because they are not really about Costa Coffee coming to Marple. The EMA is not strictly a local issue, so it was moved to miscellaneous. This section of the site is no less popular than the local issues section so the purpose of moving it here was not to hide it but simply to put it in the appropriate place.

Duke Fame's comments are in the same place as yours so they are all equally visible too.

Another reason for splitting it out is so that it can be locked if the pair of you continue trading insults in the way you have been so far. Neither of you, and Duke in particular, are complying with my request for better manners on the board this year and I want to be able to lock the topic without preventing others continuing with the Costa Coffee thread.

[jethroh65]

Sorry but I don't understand why my reply to a Duke Fame post on this subject as been moved to miscellaneous where no one will read it?
It is okay for Duke Fame to wage what is series of insults upon the young people of Marple for all to see, but any replies are hidden away.