School bursary system set for overhaul

Published on Wednesday 13 May 2009 13:01

A scheme which pays some youngsters to stay on at school is to be overhauled, the Scottish Government said today.

Payouts will no longer be made to youngsters in better-off families, and the money saved will be spent on those lower down the income scale.

The changes to the "educational maintenance allowance" (EMA) system were announced by Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop.

They form part of a wider shake-up of support which will give young people a guaranteed entitlement to a place in learning or training.

The EMA was introduced several years ago and pays youngsters a weekly sum, depending on parental income, to encourage them to stay on at school.

But it has been criticised that many of the young people benefiting from it would have stayed on at school anyway.

The changes will see a 30% reduction in the number of youngsters receiving awards, although the shake-up will only apply to new applicants and those receiving an award under the old rules will continue to do so.

At present, youngsters with a family income of below 21,835 get 30 a week.

Those with a family income of between 21,836 and 26,769 get 20 a week, and those with family incomes between 26,770 and 32,316 get 10.

Above that income level, no allowance is paid.

Under the changes announced by Ms Hyslop, the 10 and 20 awards will be scrapped.

The maximum income for the 30 award is to be lowered to 20,351 to bring it in line with college bursary thresholds but a higher ceiling – 22,403 – will apply to families with more than one youngster in education.

Announcing the overall shake-up today, Ms Hyslop said: "This Government is committed to providing more choices and more chances to those who leave school early.

"I am passionate about improving the life chances of all young Scots, and improving the destinations of this group is crucial."

She said the package launched today would aim support at vulnerable young people who needed it most.

"It is our intelligent alternative to the UK Government's plan to raise the school leaving age to 18" she said.

The package announced today will also see 10 local councils piloting schemes to give youngsters from lower-income backgrounds a wider range of learning and training opportunities.

Labour education spokeswoman Claire Baker MSP said the changes to allowances are "worrying".

"This SNP Government is just not reacting well enough to the recession Scotland faces, and it is our young people that are suffering," she said.

"Just last month the UK Government announced 54,000 extra college places for school leavers in England and Wales – but up in Scotland we have none.

"These plans were thought up before the worst effects of the economic downturn hit Scotland, and they are simply now the wrong thing to do."