professor sonia jackson and dr claire cameron

A research project funded by the Framework 7 Research programme of the European Union

www.ioe.ac.uk/tcru

Beyond care: pathways through Education in Europe

A journey without maps

http:/tcru.ioe.ac.uk/yippee


www.ioe.ac.uk/tcru

Professor Sonia Jacksonand Dr Claire Cameron


Project partnersEngland: Institute of Education, University of London (Coordinator)Sweden: Göteborg University (Social Work & Education)Denmark: Danish School of Education, University of AarhusSpain: Research Institute on Quality of Life, University of GironaHungary: Institute for Social Policy and Labour, Budapest


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


Legal age of leaving and time in schoolCompulsory education

Denmark England Hungary Spain Sweden

Age 7-16 5-16 6-18 6-16 7-16

Years of obligatory schooling

9 11 12 10 9


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


‘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 Union9

Forms of placement in five countries


Educational attainment in 2009 (England)


Continuing in educationYoung 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 knowsAll young people:80-90% (OECD figures)


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


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


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


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


www.ioe.ac.uk/tcru

Young People in Public Care: Family backgrounds and care systems

Dr Claire Cameron and Professor Sonia Jackson


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


Age of first entry to careYounger 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


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


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)


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


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


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.


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”


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


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


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


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

professor sonia jackson and dr claire cameron

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