THURROCK Council leader John Kent may have suffered disappointment when seeing his budget proposals rocked by a Tory amendment, but he drew some consolation in the last debate of the evening, when he proposed a motion resolving the Council to lobby the Secretary of State to reverse his decision to scrap the Education Maintenance Allowance.
Several Tories, including the Council’s youngster recruit and most recent schoolleaver, Cllr James Halden spoke against the motion, but it was passed with support from independent councillors.
James Halden regulary claims ‘I am the voice of the young people in this chamber’.
Your views on this one are yet again totally go against the views of most young people and what you said was a load of twaddle. The principle of Palmers and Thurrock College would agree with me on this one. YP rely on the EMA for travel and books etc.
EMA was the life line for many young people and allowed them to access sixth form and college without this money they would not and will not be able to stay in education and will need to leave schook at 16.
EMA was and always was means tested and so it shoul be, no families would have been able to exploit this system as you indicated. Parents had to prove they were on low incomes to get the money the nearer they got to the limit the less their child got from the government. some got as little as £10 per week.
I am guessing that you didnt qualify for EMA James and that you do not come from a low income family and for that reason you would not know what the fall out is going to be to other young people in Thurrock.
If you represent young people go to the year 11’s at Thurrock secondary schools, Palmers and the College and do a re run of the speach you gave on Tuesday night.
Do this and I bet you wont protest that you are the voice of the young people ever again.
I really cannot understand how you find it in your hearts to say such nasty things about Jimothy Halden. It is hard being a boy councillor, you have to do what the men councillors tell you when you are trying to reach the top.
Jimzie ‘I’m a real boy’ Halden, has firmly established himself in the Conservative Young Non-Working Mens Club, as well as playing his part in making sure that the ‘Tory Boy’ image isn’t just about leather shoes and pretentious facial hair, but also about excessive drinking. He has every right to say that he represents young people, and in fact his youth has a lot to offer the borough.
Danny Nicklen and Jim-Jam Halden, the Charlie Sheen and Prince Andrew of Thurrock politics could really make the T-Fest a cost-efficient Bring Your Own Booze event. Frankly, I’m disappointed that the Council havent budgeted for putting Danny’s face on the side of milk cartons this year, where is he?
Anyway, back to Dizzy Halden, when he’s not swanning around doing naff-all like old Dizzy Fletcher ‘Murder She Wrote’ it seems he is trying to make life even harder for young people in study. James, who would probably call himself a modern day Jacques de Molay of the Tory Youth, despite having aspirations to marry a Rothschild shouldnt really be attacking the students now should he?
If Aaron Kiely was to win in Ockendon, the chamber could be an interesting vehicle for debate on this topic. Particularly when you compare the laughable pair’s books-read to pints-drunk ratio, James looks like a real heavyweight. What an interesting Toff vs Twerp encounter it will really be.
Jameslaar Halden has a few interesting years ahead of him, particularly if he keeps shooting young people in the foot.
Sting, my boy qualified for EMA as did a lot of his mates. I gave him the speech about putting it to good use in the course of his education but I can tell you that it mostly goes on fast food and games. Sadly, that is exactly what all of his mates spend it on too, and I do mean all of them. Whilst I am sure that some kids do put it to the use for which it was intended, unfortunately, the majority don’t so it’s difficult to make the case for EMA being the life line you suggest.
With due respects, when will people realise that life is not about what you are given, but what you go out and achieve…
EMA is wrong in every way. It doesn’t promote independance; it doesn’t give anyone experience of working in industry, its just another way of Labour making people dependant on their policies.
Students (some, not all) go to college five days a week. Most logical people would suggest that those who choose to go to college go and get a part-time college job. That way that are learning real workplace experience and meeting new people and earning their own money. Transport is free to college, as are the books -so what are people actually claiming money for? A student lifestyle me thinks.
More government handouts just breeds dependancy on the state. Something I daresay our wonderful Mr Blair and Mr Brown was plotting all along. It seems that all Labour stands for is trying to get people to work less for more money, as opposed to actually working for a living.
And yes – I did come from a low-income family. So I know how things are, and that EMA is just an absolute nonsense. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!
Well said “jphelps314” and good on you for not wanting your children to be dependent on the state, nor do I. I agree with you there is too much dependancy on the state which has made aspiriations of alot of people nose dive. Good for all the young people who are going on with their education, which they did also before EMA, with the help of part time jobs. Young people will still go to college with or without EMA and succeed if they have the will to and I for one hope they do.
New Select Committee inquiry into 16-19 participation in education and training Summary
The Commons Education Select Committee has announced a new inquiry into raising the participation age. This is a policy from the previous administration which the current government plans to implement. The Committee is particularly looking at:
■What impact the Education Maintenance Allowance has had on the participation, attendance, achievement and welfare of young people and how effective will be the Discretionary Learner Support Fund in replacing it
■What preparations are necessary, for providers and local authorities, for the gradual raising of the participation age to 18 years and what is their current state of readiness
■What impact raising the participation age will have on areas such as academic achievement, access to vocational education and training, student attendance and behaviour, and alternative provision.
Evidence needs to be submitted by noon on 2nd March.
From a personal work (debt relief) point of view EMA has helped but we live in financially difficult times.