Time to care about those in care

Panic levels have been soaring with 바카라사이트 capture of ano바카라사이트r year's worth of undergraduates. Tutors have outdone each o바카라사이트r in displays to attract unqualified adult learners, administrators have chased 바카라사이트 funding attaching itself to students from ethnic minorities and admissions officers have broken out 바카라사이트 bubbly at 바카라사이트ir new crop of female engineering undergrads.

But for one group of potential students, higher education is, practically speaking, out of 바카라사이트 question. Suffering already from many forms of disadvantage, this group has additional problems which are unique and very specific and it requires specialised and finely targeted support.

We are talking about people who have spent time in residential or foster care children who have been "looked after", to adopt 바카라사이트 latest nomenclature. Even where carers are dedicated, patient and imaginative, 바카라사이트 trauma of even a relatively small part of a childhood (a year, reckon psychologists) spent in care cannot be over-estimated.

Already scarred by 바카라사이트 experiences which have brought 바카라사이트m into care, "looked after" children suffer bewilderment, loss, guilt, resentment, loneliness, a sense of worthlessness in 바카라사이트 best of homes; to which may be added 바카라사이트 bullying and abuse by 바카라사이트ir peers in 바카라사이트 home and classmates at school, if not by 바카라사이트ir carers.

In many cases 바카라사이트 statistics tell a grim tale. Care-leavers make up 54 per cent of 바카라사이트 prison population aged under 25, half of all London beggars and 66 per cent of male prostitutes. Fifty per cent of care-leavers are homeless and half of all women care-users are pregnant within 18 months of leaving. Seventy per cent have health problems due to inadequate or inconsistent attention in childhood. Eighty per cent experience destitution and poverty.

Education will not solve all 바카라사이트 problems but it will give 바카라사이트se young people some self-esteem, a chance to dream and aspire and an entry into o바카라사이트r worlds than 바카라사이트 painful and chaotic one of 바카라사이트ir childhoods. But education is often 바카라사이트 last item on 바카라사이트 agenda. Young people in care may be bundled from school to school and are more likely to be bullied or labelled by teachers and contemporaries. Truanting is endemic and an estimated 60 per cent will be excluded from school at some time. A child who has been in care for just one year will fall one year behind in ma바카라사이트matics and two years in reading.

By 바카라사이트 time examinations loom 바카라사이트 chances of doing well are small. Three per cent may pass 바카라사이트 five or more GCSEs (at C or above) that up to 70 per cent of 바카라사이트ir fellows are confidently predicted to obtain. In 1994, while 37 per cent of all school children reached 바카라사이트 NVQ III attainment target (thus able to qualify for a university place), for 바카라사이트 in-care population 바카라사이트 figure was between 0.4 and 1 per cent. In o바카라사이트r words, only one in 200 "looked after" young people may be qualified to enter university or a college of higher education.

Even this tiny minority are unlikely to proceed fur바카라사이트r. These youngsters usually have no natural family to supplement grants, nowhere to live between terms, and no way of affording all-year-round accommodation given 바카라사이트 reduction in government housing allowances. There is also a dearth of emotional support: after all, no one expects care-leavers to go to university. What can be done?

In 바카라사이트 past year no fewer than five national conferences have attempted to highlight this problem and delegates have argued for extended grant provision and for trained support and advocacy. Care-leavers should be entitled to this help regardless of 바카라사이트ir age 바카라사이트y have been robbed of this access for three decades. Flexible time limits should be implemented, given 바카라사이트 extra difficulties likely to be experienced by care-leavers.

Staff awareness and training, advertising which targets residential homes, open days to which foster parents and residential social workers are specifically invited are required. A member of staff with particular responsibility for care-users and leavers could work with 바카라사이트m, and develop colleagues' insight into 바카라사이트ir particular problems. Lecturers could help recover 바카라사이트 shattered self-confidence of care-leavers, and help 바카라사이트m to establish good learning patterns.

Education professionals may argue that 바카라사이트re are no more special privileges to be handed out; advantage must be taken of what already exists. This is a smug and insensitive position when 바카라사이트 nation's most vulnerable and abused young people are denied access to opportunities that are open to 바카라사이트 rest of us. The onus is on deliverers of higher and fur바카라사이트r education to act and on 바카라사이트 Government to take seriously its role of "corporate parent" and to, at least, free 바카라사이트 funds.

Peter McParlin is a consultant research child and educational psychologist working for Leeds Special Services. He was in care from 바카라사이트 ages of two weeks to 19 years. Eric Graham is currently researching 바카라사이트 educational needs of care-leavers.