Beyond care: pathways
through Education in
Europe
A journey without maps
www.ioe.ac.uk/tcru
http:/tcru.ioe.ac.uk/yippee
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Professor Sonia Jackson
and Dr Claire Cameron
www.ioe.ac.uk/tcru
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Project partners
England: Institute of Education, University of London
(Coordinator)
Sweden: Göteborg University (Social Work & Education)
Denmark: Danish School of Education, University of
Aarhus
Spain: Research Institute on Quality of Life, University of
Girona
Hungary: Institute for Social Policy and Labour, Budapest
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Project Aims
 To track the educational pathways of young men and
women in public care after the end of compulsory
schooling
 To examine how more of them might be encouraged and
supported to continue into further and higher education
 To compare different systems and experiences in five
European countries
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Legal age of leaving and time in school
Compulsory
education
Denmark England
Hungary
Spain
Sweden
Age
7-16
5-16
6-18
6-16
7-16
9
11
12
10
9
Years of
obligatory
schooling
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Research Methods




Literature reviews
Analysis of statistics
Surveys: national and local area studies
Interviews with social services, care managers and
educators (76)
 Screening telephone interviews (366)
 Intensive face to face interviews with 170 young men
and women aged 18-24 and nominated adults
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
‘It’s up to me’
• … yeah, it’s up to me to do it…. I’ve wanted to give up
so many times but I haven’t.
• … I have to do it myself…I don’t really rely on (other)
people. I prefer to do it myself.
• … I say nothing (is) going to stop me studying
• … .I know I’ve got a brain in my head, and I know if I put
my mind to it I can do anything
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Forms of placement in five countries
9
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Educational attainment in 2009 (England)
70
60
50
40
16 yrs, exam grades to progress
19 - 21yrs higher education
30
further education
20
10
0
all children
children in care
YiPPEE survey
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Continuing in education
Young people who have
been in care are much
less likely than other
young people to
continue in education at
Upper Secondary or
Tertiary level:
• 13 percent in Sweden
• 3 percent in Denmark
• 6 percent in Hungary
• 9 percent in England
• Spain - nobody knows
All young people:
80-90% (OECD figures)
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Obstacles to inclusion
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Family background
Disruptions to schooling and lack of basic skills
Disputes between services
Moves in care and school placements
Lack of encouragement in care environment
Low expectations and poor guidance
Financial difficulties
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Transition to adulthood
• The age of leaving care is (16-19) is much lower than the
average age of leaving home (24/25)
• Most young people in or leaving care have to worry
about economic survival and accommodation at a far
earlier age than others
• Keeping house on a low income makes it hard to focus
on learning
• Independent living and early entry to workforce are in
tension with continuing education
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Policy issues
•
•
•
•
Invisibility of young people in public care
Divisions between services
Linking of entitlement to chronological age
Welfare regulations discouraging educational
participation
• Special problems relating to asylum-seekers
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Recommendations to EU
 Identify young people in care and care leavers
specifically in all reviews and policy documents relating
to disadvantaged youth
 Collect comparative statistics annually at national and
local levels
 Join up care and education services
 Employ teachers in care and support settings
 Prioritise continuing education over early employment
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Young People in Public
Care: Family
backgrounds and care
systems
www.ioe.ac.uk/tcru
Dr Claire Cameron and Professor
Sonia Jackson
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Young people with ‘educational promise’
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
170 18 – 24 years
115 female; 55 male
126 ‘white’
35 born outside partner country
17 unaccompanied migrants (ES and EN)
4 Roma (HU)
25% in bachelor programmes
42% in vocational programmes
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Age of first entry to care
Younger
Older
Total
Denmark (0-11/12+)
17
18
35
Hungary (0-9 /10+)
18
17
35
Spain (0-13/14+)
27
8
35
Sweden (0-13/14+)
18
19
33
England (0-13/14+)
14
18
32
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Family lives similar in five countries
•
•
•
Complex family forms - single parents + multiple partners
Many siblings, usually close relationships
Low level of employment
•
•
•
Parental alcohol and substance misuse
Loss and bereavement
Being ‘put out’ – unwanted, not being listened to – feeling
threatened and standing alone
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Childhood?
• It was a total catastrophe, and I really mean it. My
mother was an alcoholic. […] But my mother was like, she
went away once, then came back, went away, came back
again. […] So if she couldn't get her liquor, she would also
break into places. And she spent a lot of time in prison.
[…] when my parents got divorced, once and for all, I got
a foster- mother, who could have stepped out of a fairy
tale as an evil stepmother. … she didn't hurt me
physically, or just rarely, but she hurt me verbally a lot’.
(22, female, studying at a police academy, Hungary)
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Care lives - a story of difference
• Denmark, Sweden, England, mostly in foster care or a
mixture of both residential and foster care
• Hungary, nearly half in residential care
• Spain, importance of kinship care, and residential care
• Number of placements
DK
HU
SP
SW
EN
1-3
30
27
35
19
17
4+
5
6 (3+)
0
11 (3+)
15
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Educational support
• Very little support from birth families, apart from some
unaccompanied migrants
• Low level of education among foster carers
• Few examples of higher education in Hungary, Sweden,
England
• Mainly well educated and supportive in Denmark
• Residential workers in Spain, Denmark highly trained, value
education
• But largely low expectations – vocational qualifications, economic
independence
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Support from Swedish FC
• I always sat at the kitchen table doing my
homework, but she was always around. She could
cook at the same time as we did the homework,
and if I needed help she always helped. She’s said
that school is the most important. School comes
first, and is most important, you always have to
do a homework, then you can play. Some
schoolwork first, then play.
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Support from Spanish social educator
“Very good, they always told me to do what I wanted…they were
always encouraging me … any doubts I had or... help I needed, even
if I wasn’t at the residential home, I should call them. Since I left the
residential home… I still often go for breakfast with the social
educator, we go for lunch, with my ex-tutor as well. I received a lot of
support from [my social educator] he’s always been there…if you
stop... if you need to take a year off, do it, but go back the next year, I
know you can do it, and that led me to think... wow, if someone has
faith that I can do it, then I can, why can’t I? (Fina, 20)
Social educator: “We made it very important. I awarded it a lot of
importance and really pushed her to study. It was a priority. The most
important thing was education, she wanted money, she wanted other
things, and I had to push her a lot”
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Support overall
• Many felt alone, rejected by society
• Some foster families were there ‘for life’; others
disinterested
• Little post care support from residential workers
• Friends and life partners important – where
existed
• Motivation from not being like their parents
• Future goals strongly normative – to fit in
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Young peoples’ responses
• Promising
– Little or no delay, good experiences in school, fewer
placements, foster care, OK relations with parent/s,
someone to depend on, offer guidance, volunteering,
social life, girls
• Not so promising
– Health problems, caring responsibilities, poor
guidance, in and out of educational programmes with
little sense of direction, limited horizons
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Social Exclusion
•
•
•
•
•
Over half in education or training
No criminal records
Employment mostly linked to education
Little unemployment
High levels of voluntary work, informal learning – esp
England
• Striving to be part of the norm
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union
Solutions that seem to work
• Continuing and unconditional personal support beyond
compulsory education age
• Well educated workers – pedagogues – in residential
settings in Spain, Denmark, Hungary
• Second foster placements
• Leaving care teams, especially with teacher attached
• Easy financial access to higher education for all – Sweden
• Supporting development of strong learning identity
• Promoting citizenship – volunteering, social networks
A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union