Save the EMA

The government stands accused of cherry-picking research in order to scrap the EMA.

Thomas Spielhofer, the former research manager at the National Foundation for Educational Research, whose report the government frequently cited to call the EMA a ‘deadweight cost’, told MPs that ministers had ‘misinterpreted’ key findings.

The government said the report stated that 88% of EMA recipients did not need the weekly money they received to help with course costs and said this was proof it was a deadweight cost.

However, giving evidence to the education select committee, Mr Spielhofer said: ‘You can interpret that in different ways. You can interpret it quite negatively, and say that for 88% that was wasted money, but I don’t actually see it that way, I think it has been misinterpreted in that sense.’

When asked directly if he was happy with the concept that EMA has a deadweight cost of 88%, he said ‘no’. He also said he was unhappy that the change in government policy had been based on his research and that ministers should have paid closer attention to work by the Institute of Fiscal Studies, which showed that the EMA paid for itself.

Unions say the revelations were proof that the government’s cuts are ideologically driven and pointed to a survey it carried out in January which showed that 70% of EMA recipients would consider dropping out of college if the allowance was axed.

The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) has called on the UK government to reinstate the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA).

In its latest Going for Growth report, the OECD said that improving the educational achievement of young people, by reintroducing the EMA, could boost youth employment in Britain, propel economic growth and help it cut a record budget deficit.

The revelations were deeply embarrassing for the government who plan to cut allowances for poorer students by £390m, and come after David Cameron praised the OECD for being ‘one of the world’s major international economic organisations’.

The OECD report (pdf)

See SaveEMA.co.uk for more on this development.

Students from two London colleges will be handing out ‘Save EMA’ biscuits outside parliament from 9:15am tomorrow (Wednesday) morning*, as MPs prepare to vote on the future of the educational maintenance allowance (EMA).

The students, from Brook House Sixth Form College in Hackney and William Morris College in Hammersmith, where over 65% of pupils receive the EMA, are also holding lessons in the House of Commons between 10am and 11am where they will meet with MPs **.

In addition, from 1pm to 4pm there will be a lobby in the House of Commons which will be attended by staff and students from around the country.

The news comes ahead of an opposition day debate in Parliament on Wednesday (19 January), in which MPs will vote on a motion that calls on the government to rethink its plans to scrap the vital financial support.

A survey published today by the University and College Union (UCU) revealed that seven in ten students (70%) who receive the EMA would drop out of college if it is withdrawn, and that nearly two-thirds (63%) don’t get any help from their families to meet study costs - http://www.ucu.org.uk/5208

*The students will be handing out the biscuits outside Westminster Underground Station

**The students will be holding lessons in committee room 6 and 8 of the House of Commons

#The lobby will be held in committee room 11 in the House of Commons

If you would like information about how many people recieve EMA at your local institution, please click here: EMA recipents by institution

For a briefing from the FE unions, NUS and Save EMA, please click here: About Education Maintenance Allowance MP Brief

Our briefing references a report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies which can be found here: http://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/5370

Please find here links to new  resources to help you lobby your MP ahead of the vote on Wednesday, including a briefing for MPs and a guide to lobbying:

Briefing for MPs: http://emacampaign.org.uk/files/2011/01/Lobby-of-Parliament-Briefing-on-EMA.pdf

Lobbying Guide: http://emacampaign.org.uk/files/2011/01/How-to-lobby-your-MP.pdf

The Parliamentary vote on scrapping EMA took place on 19 January.