NO: Sally Hunt, general secretary, the University and College Union
The Barnardo’s report described the decision to scrap the education maintenance allowance (EMA) as "disastrous" and said it has led to students skipping meals to fund the bus fare to college. The report also described the bursary fund as insufficient to meet the support needed by the poorest students.
It is quite shocking that youngsters skip meals to pay their travel fare to college. The very least the government must do is look again at providing the financial support required to give the poorest teenagers in the country a fair crack at an education.
We see no benefit whatsoever in consigning them to the ever-increasing number of young people in the dole queue.
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