Poor youngsters are dropping out of college because the government’s replacement for the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is “inadequate”, a report says.

The Barnardo’s report says lower levels of money and a lack of access to it are leaving some of England’s poorest students with no choice.

Young people are skipping meals in order to pay their fares to college, it adds.

The government said EMA was wasteful.

Education Secretary Michael Gove announced he was axing the £560m a year scheme soon after his party came to power in 2010. He said he wanted support for poor pupils more targeted.

via >BBC News – EMA replacement ‘failing young poor students’.