Valerie meets students at Walsall College

Today, Valerie Vaz MP visited Walsall College where she met students and staff.  Valerie was keen to speak with students from Walsall Collge as she had presented a petition against the abolition of the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) signed by hundreds of them to Parliament on 19th January.  This was immediately after the House of Commons debate on EMA. 

Pupils discussed with Valerie issues that affect them, including  the recent abolition of Educational Maintenance Allowance, and the proposed rise in university tuition fees.  Valerie said: “I am very pleased to have met some of the students who attend Walsall College, who spoke to me about tuition fees and the loss of EMA.  Both these issues will have a big effect on students who are at the college now, and those who will attend in future.  Students who are in receipt of EMA have made it very clear to me that they will face difficulties without EMA which will be made even worse by an increase in tuition fees.  We are oppposing these unnecessary measures and I would urge these young people to carry on believing in themselves and continue in further education or training to get as much experience and skills as they can.”