Have your say here

With the debate raging on over the government’s scrapping of the educational maintenance allowance (EMA), we want to hear from Hackney students.

If you receive the EMA, would you be able to stay in school without it?

The Gazette revealed exclusively this week that the majority of the ten pupils from Mossbourne Community Academy who have landed offers from Cambridge University received the EMA to do so.

And about 60 per cent of the over 16s currently in education in Hackney get the grant.

MPs voted to scrap the weekly payments – available to 16 to 18 year olds whose household income is under �30,800 – earlier this month, despite widespread protest.

According to government, 9 out of 10 students say they would stay in school if they lost the money.

But Hackney students, who have already been active in the national Save EMA campaign, presented a deputation against the abolition to Wednesday’s full council meeting.

They said the grant made “all the difference” to their studies.

How would the scrapping of EMA would affect you?