Many a good intention ends up having a bad consequence.
Having an education and furthering you career path should be open to all, and if the cost of getting to college or buying additional materials needed for study is preventing someone then that itself should be prevented.
But how?
Corbyn has announced as part of his keep me leader campaign that he would want to bring back the Educational Maintenance Allowance.
This gave students between 10 to 30 pounds per week, as suggested above to help prevent the reason of young people not being able to attend college simply because they couldn't afford it.
But the scheme which was brought in by the then New Labour government over 8 years ago was a disaster. I have worked for Liberata and then Capita who had to take over the contract. It was poorly managed and turned into an absolute farce. It was an administrative nightmare, thousands upon thousands of applications were needed to be processed. This created a back log, initially it was suggested to make a new claim as the old one might be lost so this doubled the work load.
Overtime became plentiful and a 24 hour shift of agency staff were brought in to sift through applications. No skill required and no care to detail really bothered about. Money just seemed to be getting thrown at a situation where it seemed hundreds of pounds per student was being spent just so they could get £30 a week.
Colleges were left trying to help out students from their own hardship funds, parents were ringing in wanting proofs and documentation back.
I am guessing hundreds of millions of pounds were spent, and the only real people who benefited were the private companies who got paid and then gave back the contract, the agencies who supplied all the workers and the workers who for a short period of time could put in all the hours they wished.
My idea would be to yes lets fund students but give it direct to the colleges, they already have a hardship fund so lets boost that, the colleges can deal with students in house as they apply for the courses. Give out free travel passes, employ some full time admin staff / counsellors for each college.
A positive all the way, as hundreds of jobs will be created, students will actually get help, and companies and agencies won't profit out of another badly thought out but well intentioned idea.
Will it happen though is another issue, much like giving a donation to a charity and the person thinking it all goes to the problem and having no idea or care how much is sucked up by admin.
Your thoughts are welcome.
