Across Europe young people in public care are around five times less likely to attend tertiary education than those who have not been in care. This book provides a comprehensive account of why this shocking discrepancy exists and outlines ways to address the imbalance.
Drawing extensively on a substantial three-year long European Union funded research project led by the authors, this book examines the participation of young people in care in further and higher education in Europe. It provides a historical and legislative overview of the topic and in-depth national case studies look at the situation in England, Denmark, Sweden, Spain and Hungary. The authors set out clearly what we can learn from these cross-national comparisons and how to create more equal opportunities for children and young people in care.
This important book will be essential reading for researchers and policy makers working on child welfare or young people in care, including government and local authority policy-makers, managers of children’s and education services, school governors, and academics working in the fields of education, sociology, psychology, social work and social policy.
Table of Content
Introduction. 1. Education and Social Inclusion. 2. Welfare Regimes And Individual Educational Progression. 3. Study Design. 4. England: A Targeted Approach. Hanan Hauari and Claire Cameron, Thomas Coram Research Unit, UK. 5. Denmark: Participation For All? Claire Cameron and Inge M. Bryderup, Danish Pedagogical University, Denmark. 6. Hungary: Education And Care In Transition. Claire Cameron, Marta Korintus and Andrea Rácz, National Institute for Family and Social Policy, Hungary. 7. Spain: Stability And Extended Support. Carme Monserrat and Ferran Casas, Research Institute on Quality of Life, University of Girona, Spain, with Sonia Jackson. 8. Sweden: A Long And Winding Road. Helena Johansson and Ingrid Höjer, Department of Social Work, University of Göteborg, Sweden. 9. Looking Across Countries. 10. Finding A Way Forward.
About the author
Claire Cameron Ph D is Professor of Social Pedagogy and Deputy Director of the Thomas Coram Research Unit at the Institute of Education, University College London. Previously a social worker, her research contributes to the development of the children’s workforce and the quality of life of children and young people attending care and education services, particularly looked after children.