After all the fuss Labour are making about the withdrawal of EMA (Educational Maintenance Allowance) I find that they were planning to withdraw it, even if on a different timescale - http://www.cypnow.co.uk/Archive/761753/Education-Maintenance-grant-axed-when-leaving-age-raised/. Interesting that their reason for having EMA was to be an incentive for young people to stay in education rather than be unemployed (helps the stats!), whereas what young people are saying is they want support to be able to stay in education. A difference. An interesting comment in The Guardian on this difference too. I do know that EMA has made a big difference to young people, but there are many stories around about its abuse. The plans to give £100 million (less than is spent now) directly to the colleges for them to distribute according to need may be an answer, we will have to sait and see. One the one had we don't want an administrative burden on them that causes problems, but on the other hand needs to vary. A young person living in Elm Tree going to Stockton Sixth Form College has no travel costs at all. A young person living in Bishopsgarth travelling to Riverside College has travel costs. In the meantime I know of a young person with autism who has been gettting no help at all for taxi costs to his college.
Tonight wa my much loved book club. Nothing to do with politics, but we were talking about the book "The Sunday Philospophy Club". A central theme of the novel is about truth. When to tell it and when to really think about it. Some truths are not as they seem. Very thought provoking.
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