Pay us to go to College?

What a shocking waste

by Caroline James from Shrewsbury

As a 16-year-old student doing GCSEs, I was shocked to hear that from the beginning of the new academic year in September,, many of my peers will be paid to attend college.

In a last-ditch attempt by Labour to meet its pre-election targets, this Government scheme is another tactic to encourage pupils to stay on in education and continue to University. I don't know what is more pathetic: the idea that the millions needed to fund this venture won't harm education overall, or the insinuation that young people will only attend school if they're paid to do so.

Many of my friends have, like me, been predicted mainly A* grades at GCSE. We don't hate school and would attend sixth-form college regardless of any financial incentive.

However, several of my friends will now receive up to £30 a week when they go to college in September, with the prospect of annual £100 bonuses for good attendance. Yet they already achieve more than 90% attendance.

This is a perfect example of money being given to the wrong people. One of my friends lives in a household with an income of more than £30,000 and is, therefore, not entitled to the new grant. She does, however, have four siblings and is quick to point out that although her parents earn more money, she's not actally better off. Her parents can't afford to pay her £30 a week to attend school. Nor can mine.

Instead of using this money benefit the few, it should be spent on new books and improving our country's increasingly dilapidated State schools. Maybe no one would then have to be paid to encourage them to receive their education.

(Letter published in the Daily Mail, May 2004)