UK

Children in care lag behind other pupils

Pupils with special needs are out-performing young people in care who do not have learning difficulties, according to the latest statistics.

Fresh analysis of last year's exam results shows that so-called "looked-after children" are falling further behind the rest of the school population, despite Scottish Executive attempts to improve their attainment.

The figures also show that pupils in rural schools perform better than those in urban areas, while girls continue to do better than boys. Pupils receiving free school meals did less well than others. The figures suggested that English youngsters get better exam results than Scots in schools north of the Border, and Asian and Chinese children get the best results of all.

The statistics, released yesterday by the Executive, look in more detail at last year's exams. Using a tariff system to assess academic results, the figures show that children in care who do not have special needs scored an average of 58 points. However, children who are not in care but have learning difficulties achieved 84 points.

Ministers have made improving the academic attainment of children in care one of their top priorities. A spokeswoman for the Executive said yesterday that improving the future prospects of children in care would take time. "We're talking about kids who have clearly disengaged from education," she said. "What we have got to do is stop them switching off in the first place, but it's not going to happen overnight - it's a tough challenge."

Fiona Hyslop, the SNP's education spokeswoman, said: "The underperformance of those receiving free school meals underlines the urgent necessity for reform of pre-school education."

Kevin Schofield
15 March 2006

http://news.scotsman.com/education.cfm?id=385532006
 

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