The Education Maintenance Allowance is a weekly grant given to poor students, worth up to £30 a week, to encourage them to carry on staying in education.

The DirectGov site says:

Basically, EMA is cash in your hands to help you carry on learning. If you’re 16, 17 or 18 and have left, or are about to leave, compulsory education, then it could be for you.
…
There’s no catch. As long as you attend regularly and work hard, there should be no problem in receiving EMA. And if you stay in learning, it could affect what you earn – the latest research shows that learning a new skill and getting a new qualification can actually mean more money in your hands,increasing your annual salary by up to £3,000.

In unveiling their education policy this week, the Conservatives claimed they supported the EMAs. Shadow education secretary Michael Gove told Parliament: He was “absolutely” in their favour.

But the evidence actually shows deep tory confusion and flip-flopping over whether they would support the measure.

The blog Left Foot Forward uncovered these quotes from the Conservative shadow cabinet:

- Chris Grayling, January 2005: “Bribing young people to sign up for courses they may not complete might make ministers’ targets look achievable – but [EMAs] do absolutely nothing to help solve this country’s chronic skills shortage.”

- David Cameron, November 2007: “we think there are some really practical problems and issues with that sort of compulsion”

- Michael Gove, January 2008: [Asked if was in favour of EMAs] Yes, absolutely

- Michael Gove, August 2008: Claimed it was a flop and, according to the Guardian, “said fewer than 400 extra children eligible for free school meals (FSM) had stayed on after finishing GCSEs since 2004, despite the introduction of the EMA at a cost of £924m.”

- David Cameron, January 2009: Says again that “Yes” he supports EMAs.

It seems the Conservatives are yet to settle on a coherent education strategy.

Reader comments

1. Liberal Conspiracy

   :: How the Tories have flip-flopped on education http://bit.ly/7PPrzn

2. House Of Twits

   RT @libcon :: How the Tories have flip-flopped on education http://bit.ly/7PPrzn

3. Sarah Raphael

   RT @libcon: :: How the Tories have flip-flopped on education http://bit.ly/7PPrzn

4. Jay Baker

   RT @libcon: :: How the Tories have flip-flopped on education http://bit.ly/7PPrzn

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   [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Liberal Conspiracy, House Of Twits. House Of Twits said: RT @libcon :: How the Tories have flip-flopped on education http://bit.ly/7PPrzn [...]

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7. StopTheRight

   How the Tories have flip-flopped on education http://alturl.com/afgh

8. Policy Watch « Bad Conscience

   [...] But why just be inconsistent when you can flip-flop? Witness the Conservative Party on the education maintenance allowance (EMA): first they were against it, then they were for it, then Michael Gove said they were a bad idea, but now the Tories support them again? Who knows. [...]

9. Matthew Ransley

   @JessGCCFan this isnt true http://bit.ly/bc7Jag i researched it

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