Scheme to help the poorest in education to be scaled back

A SCHEME aimed at reducing large numbers of unemployed school leavers is to be scaled back to cut costs, it has emerged.

The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) will also be reviewed in December, sparking fears it may be scrapped.

Student leaders warned that the move could plunge teenagers into financial hardship and force some to leave education.

The government scheme makes weekly payments of 30 to the poorest 16- to 19-year-olds at school and college to encourage them to stay on. However, additional bonuses of up to 300 for attendance and performance each year will not be awarded next year.

It comes a year after the Scottish Government ended 10 and 20 weekly payments allocated through means-testing parents.

The National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland said latest government statistics showed 39,000 teenagers received EMA payments in 2008-9, with 25,535 receiving the bonus.

Liam Burns, NUS Scotland president, said: "These changes will take hundreds of pounds out of the pockets of tens of thousands of the poorest students in Scotland, without any consultation whatsoever.

"The EMA is already only available to the very poorest young college students and pupils. To cut this at a time when college bursaries are under severe pressure, when money is already tight for students and when part-time jobs aren't there to see students through, is incredibly dangerous."

He said the review could leave students out of pocket halfway through the academic year.

An e-mail from a Scottish Government employee to education leaders said: "Any awards issued to young people for academic year 2010-11 are therefore only guaranteed until December. I fully appreciate that the mid-year review point may cause additional work for your staff and uncertainty both for staff and young people."

The EMA is given to students with a household income below 20,351, or less than 22,403 if there are two or more dependent children living in the household.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "The current economic climate has caused significant budgetary pressures and, at the same time, led to more young people staying on at school or college – an increase in demand we expect to continue into 2010-11.

"To manage these pressures, whilst ensuring we continue to help those who need the most support to stay in school, we have removed the additional bonus payments, bringing us into line with decisions already taken south of the Border."