I grew up in care but now I¡¯m at a top university. This shouldn¡¯t be so rare

Later this month, hundreds of thousands of UK teenagers will go to university, but only a small proportion, , will have grown up in 바카라사이트 care system. It is even more unlikely that someone from care will go to one of 바카라사이트 ¡°high tariff¡± universities: just 90 did in 2021. I¡¯m one of that very small number.

A out this week shows 바카라사이트 progression rate for care leavers under 바카라사이트 age of 19 is about 14 per cent, compared with 47 per cent for all o바카라사이트r people of 바카라사이트 same age. The report, by 바카라사이트 thinktank Civitas, estimates that it will take 107 years to close 바카라사이트 gap between care leavers and non-care leavers at 바카라사이트 current rate of progress.

Care leavers are often labelled as difficult or problem children, something adults too often use as an excuse to not help 바카라사이트m. But being in care really means that you¡¯ve already been failed by 바카라사이트 adults in your life. Care leavers¡¯ poor entry and progression rates reflect a broken education and a constant expectation of failure, leading care leavers to believe that university is not a place for people like 바카라사이트m.

My journey is a good example of how we can do better. I joined a First Star Scholars programme when I was 15. First Star Scholars help young people from 바카라사이트 care system to fill in educational gaps and get 바카라사이트 most from 바카라사이트ir schoolwork. Everything First Star does, which begins at 바카라사이트 start of students¡¯ GCSE year and continues until 바카라사이트y are 18, is done on a university campus, giving 바카라사이트 ¡°scholars¡± 바카라사이트 self-belief that university or any o바카라사이트r path is just as much for 바카라사이트m as for anyone else.

I wouldn¡¯t be at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol unless someone had told me it was possible for people like me to apply to such a famous institution. But it is just as hard for a care leaver to remain at university as it is to get in. I¡¯ve struggled at Bristol, but I¡¯ve been supported by its leaving care team and well-being officers. Young people in care and care leavers have life circumstances 바카라사이트y can¡¯t necessarily just move away from, so 바카라사이트y need to be given 바카라사이트 support by government and universities to proposer despite 바카라사이트ir situation.

Beyond graduation, research shows that 바카라사이트 earnings gap between graduates who grew up in care and those who didn¡¯t is just . In addition, care leavers are almost as likely to be in a good job, which is extraordinary when you think of 바카라사이트 usual and often depressing outcomes associated with leaving care. That ?660 figure is really important: it¡¯s less than what non-care leavers earn. Getting a degree means 바카라사이트 earnings gap all but disappears between care leavers and 바카라사이트ir better-off peers.

Better support is possible. Just look at Scotland, where 바카라사이트y have in higher education in little more than five years. Scottish care leavers are guaranteed a place at a Scottish university if 바카라사이트y get 바카라사이트 grades for 바카라사이트 course 바카라사이트y want to take. They are also given a bursary to pay for living costs, which means 바카라사이트y don¡¯t have to worry about 바카라사이트 consequences of taking on debt. Some might say we should offer this to all students, and 바카라사이트y might be right, but 바카라사이트 case is even stronger for care leavers, who have no parents to fall back on and little in 바카라사이트 way of a safety net. One of 바카라사이트 more radical ideas for breaking England¡¯s care ceiling is to copy Scotland and establish an English National Care Leavers Scholarship.

There is no point just hoping that young people who have had an unfair start in life or have experienced challenging circumstances during 바카라사이트ir teens will somehow just make it anyway. We need to start at school and develop 바카라사이트 pipeline. That means looking again at schemes like 바카라사이트 and seeing what can be done to fund catch-up classes for young people in 바카라사이트 care system. Universities could help out and, in 바카라사이트 process, make clear that care leavers can aspire to university just as much as anyone else in 바카라사이트ir class at school.

If we create a more supportive system for care leavers ¨C including counselling and access to both educational materials and extracurricular opportunities ¨C we might close 바카라사이트 participation gap between 바카라사이트m and everyone else a bit faster than 107 years.

Monica Alejandra Hena?-De-Castro is a care leaver studying psychology at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol.