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JayLou62 wrote:I've already messaged my MP. There's a debate on the ballet co website about this too and the possibilty of setting up an e-petition (if anyone knows how to do this?). I've put a message on Twitter. Does anyone have links with the Press?
We've told dds that they'll only be able to audition for Degree courses and I think these will be massively oversubscribed (more than at present). No way we can afford £15,000pa on our £47,000 gross earnings per child even if they're fortunate enough to get a Dada:(

I heartily agree with you JayLou62
The middle income parent who struggles to pay for everything and generally gets no help and I know we have very little "spare" cash after bills and essentials - nothing for luxuries..what are they ? lol
this is all crazy now, I can see a future of perpetual debt and worry about the next bill while my very rich friends (I have a couple lol) and my friends on income support can afford or get the support to get their kids where they want them to be..
I am seeing this happen now with my different sets of friends,there may be those who don't agree, but I am speaking from experience.
it's only those with similar incomes to us that get no help at all and are expected to pluck money from no-where, whilst bills are rising and wages are cut in real terms.
I worry so much about this, there is a whole layer of society sandwiched in the middle who are struggling and drowning and there is no life line - it's our children who won't get to college...

Hello!

I've started the petition "Council for Dance, Education and Training: Reconsider the changes to Dada funding and make the sliding scales fairer." and need your help to get it off the ground.

Will you take 30 seconds to sign it right now? Here's the link:

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/c ... les-fairer

Here's why it's important:

There is no state provision for specialist Classical Ballet or Musical Theatre training in the UK. Currently training for Ballet and Performing Arts is only accessible to those on very low incomes or very high incomes making training impossible to most families in the UK.

You can sign my petition by clicking here.

Thanks!

I have signed and shared and I hope many more NAPMs will too

Well done JayLou62. What I also don't understand is why somebody enrolled on one of these courses is not entitled to the same student loan as those at university? You can only get £6,000 rather than £9,000? After all, our dc's are the ones who have to pay it all back!!

YMT:UK have retweeted the petition so keep signing and sharing!

DOes anyne know if the sliding scale looks at gross or net income / pensionable or taxable pay ?

also if it looks at 2011-2012 earnings or 2012 -2013 and if once awarded it carries on for 3 years or if it is assessed every year based on earnings cause if so if you circumstances change for the better you could loose out ?

The scale is on your gross income.

The petition now has over 100 signatures! It's been retweeted by YMT:UK and NYMT! Earl Perkins has signed it (Thriller Live; Rent (West End and Broadway); Dancing in the Streets; Hello Dolly; Chicago; Ragtime; Carousel and Showboat. TV work includes Dr. Who; Holby City; Children in Need and Chuggington!
Please keep signing and sharing:)

Thanks for stating the link Jay lou -..... I am so upset about this ( even though we dont know yet if our child would even get a DADA ) we do have a offer of a place - .......the reason i am so annoyed is I took on a full time job thinking that if awarded a dada we would have to find the money for accommodation - we wiped out savings with one at uni and other through a vocational course -..... I now work out that by going full time I wipe out the chance of getting any funding by droping over by a few 100punds !!! ........ cant see why this Government again penilise people who are paying more tax and insurance in - I would happily take a loan to pay for it but dont think we would get one due to mortgage and even if I could sell my house in time reckon the rent i would have to pay might not save that much a month in our area.... really happy to pay a big contribution after all been forking out loads for lessons all these years but finding the full years fee x 3 and maintenance costs x 3 aint gonna happen with 6 months notice i

Have signed and posted on Facebook

Well, on the plus side I now have a contact name and address! As I said previously, I contacted my MP who sent me a letter received by me to day which said 'sorry I can be of no further help'. She also attached a letter from Rt Hon David Laws, Minister of State for Schools, Sanctuary Buildings, 20 Great Smith Street, Westminster, London, SW1P 3BT Tel: 0370 000 2268 email: david.laws.MP@parliament.uk



He says in his letter 'From 2013, if a student is offered an award, the level of support for fees and maintenance will be based on their families income. Mrs A is concerned that the changes to DaDA will make dance training something for the rich. This is not the case however, as the introduction of a fully means tested scheme means that students from lower income households will receive more support than they currently do and students from higher income households will have to make greater contributions themselves.



The Government recognises that families work hard to support DaDA students. However, the changes to the daDA scheme are being made to ensure the right amount of financial support goes to those talented students who need it most.



In relation to child benefit, all daDA students study for Trinity College qualifications which the Department for Work and Pensions classes as advanced (beyond normal further education) qualifications - this means that should Mrs A's daughter be successful in gaining a DaDA support she would not be eligible to continue to receive child benefit. Mrs A may be disappointed about this - but set against the support that DaDAs provide towards fees and maintenance at private, fee paying schools, the loss of child benefit is a relatively low figure.

Thank you for writing on this important issue. I hope my letter has been helpful.

Yours sincerely,



David Laws MP



I have used the email address and linked it to the petition. He gets emailed every time someone signs it and knows how many people have already signed:)

I will also be emailing him directly!

The arrogance!!! I'm sick and tired of (rich) MPs who think all of us on an average wage have every penny we earn as spare income! ? Mortgage? Bills? Travel? Food?
And I'm also sick and tired of subsidising other students to potentially attend a course that I won't be able to afford to send my own son on!!!! How ironic is that???
Gahhhhhh!!!!

How do they think someone on an income of £70,000 can afford fees of £15,000 plus!!!
That would basically be more than a quarter of your net income!

As always its the people in the middle that will suffer!!!

The petition now has 301 signatures....please keep signing and sharing!

Also, please email Rt Hon David Laws MP....see if we can clog up his inbox come Monday morning!!
Incidentally, googling him is quite interesting!

just googled him

Perhaps he expects us all to fiddle expenses to try and pay for our children to train. How dare he use terms like "fee paying private school" as if there are loads of other free state options available for this type of training. Pathetic. We scrimp and save to pay for dance lessons and could not consider vocational schools because we can't afford it. Vocational schools audition all over the world now because they know that people here can't afford the fees..and unis are heading that way now too. Other siblings and many normal living costs are not taken into account when means testing either. I have signed and I just feel totally annoyed about the future with 3 teenagers to support.