EMA Cuts Protest, London

Photos/media: Sarah Simmons

London, January 20, 2011. Yesterday hundreds of students gathered at Piccadilly Circus and subsequently marched to Parliament protesting the proposed cuts to the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA). The scheme, worth up to £30 per week for students with a household income less than £30,800, was designed to discourage the rising number of 16-18 year olds from opting out of further education. The government says the scheme is inefficient.