Categories: uncategorized
Date: 19 December 2010 14:31:36
Katharine Birbalsingh has labelled Third Party a goon. Ok, so to be fair not Third Party specifically but the many young people like her who are in receipt of EMA. Apparently, according to Ms Birbalsingh "EMA and the culture it creates turns our poor children into goons who go to school because they’re being paid to." The Guardian responded with this article yesterday which reflects more the reality of the situation I am aware of as a parent and as a teacher. I give her an outline of Third Party and the story of her term on EMA, not to try and give some sob story but rather to outline the reality of the situation for many like her. Third Party, as many of you will know, pretty much dropped out of school during year 11 because of anxiety and stress issues related to bullying which it has emerged she endured for most of her secondary school education. The fact she came away with a clutch of GCSE's at B and C grade, predominantly is down to her and an amazing pastoral care system at her old school which worked with her to ensure she came out with something, even if it involved a reduced timetable. This year she has moved on to study AS levels at a local FE college. There was a bit of a shaky start but she has flourished there this term. Yes, she is only taking 3 subjects but with the exception of a couple of days authorised absence when her illness took her to the doctor she has moved from being a school refuser being supported by the home / hospital service to a 100% attender. Her enthusiasm, motivation and grades are starting to soar and even the exam she is having after Christmas is not filling her with the same dread as previous ones. She has been working solidly all term towards it. The source of this enthusiasm; being bribed by EMA? Er, no. She has benefitted from making a new start in an environment where there are a greater number of the "poor middle class" and people whose schooling could be non-standard. She has also been enthused by teachers who love their subjects and want to push their students to achieve the best they can, whatever background they are from. Has she been dragging others down to gaining mediocre grades? Um, no actually she has been borrowing my theology and philosophy books to do extra reading and asking me to get hold of books for her which they had interesting extracts from on handouts. An example of what this goon has been requesting to read is "The Brothers Karamazov" by Dostoyevsky. So where does EMA come in? Well, regular readers of this blog and my FB page will know that during this term we have faced termporary homelessness and for part of the term we were living on very little income. Me being a self-funding student who at one point was surviving on Child Tax Credit, the wages from one evening class and part of Third Party's EMA. The college she is at gives an extra incentive to students on full EMA with attendance over 90%, a voucher for a free meal. Earlier in the term this was something Third Party really relied on. Was it a bribe, er.....no, it was an incentive to succeed. For Third Party the alternative of getting a full time part time job to support her through would have been nigh on impossible at the start of term due to her health issues. If she had had to have done so she would not have put in all the work to drag her work up to the A-C standard she is now achieving. As my income has changed very slightly, as I have got some more part time work and become eligable for Working Families Tax Credit she has been able to use her EMA for herself more, without constantly lending some to mum. Is this a bad thing? Um, no. It has meant a child with little has been able to buy her top-up and develop her social network and indulge a little on herself....something which I believe does her no harm. Is she just taking from the tax payer though? Um, no actually she has been giving things back where possible. One Saturday this term saw her sitting in a church hall doing her basic food hygene certificate so that she was fully trained for the coffee morning she helps at. She also spent some time helping out with the food preperation at the Streetlights launch. Oh, and she has done odd bits of babysitting for people, as required and as she has felt able to health wise. You may say to yourself, ah but she is an exception. Um, actually not. I have taught a number of young people on EMA over the years in FE colleges, some of whom have only just made the entry requirements. I have found the majority are young people who have "non-standard" stories, are often "poor middle-class" and are extremely motivated. EMA has not bribed them or got them caught in the wrong culture. What it has done is support them and their families, help give them confidence and generally make their lives a bit easier and so they have had slightly more of a level playing field to be working from when it has come to applying to university. Um, end of rant....thank you for listening and please support Save EMA. Oh finally, if she comes a-reading to see what mum's said about her this time, Third Party I am very, very proud of what you've done this term. I look forward to seeing you continue to soar.