Students protest against EMA cuts

January 19 2011

Thousands of students are set to hold protests across the country today (January 19th) over the government's plans to scrap Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) payments.

This comes on the same day that MPs are due to vote on a Labour motion calling for the coalition to rethink its policy.

Ministers claim EMA will be replaced with more "targeted" support and that the £560 million scheme is too costly.

Speaking to the BBC, shadow education secretary Andy Burnham accused prime minister David Cameron of making a U-turn after he promised not to scrap EMA before last year's general election.

"I you pull the rug from under [low-income students], the state will have to pick them up in a different way - it might end with them on the benefit system. Where's the sense in that?" he told the news provider.

A poll carried out by the University and College Union found that 70 per cent of EMA recipients would drop out of full-time education if their payments were stopped.

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