How well a child is educated will have an impact on its choice’s and options on future career and employment opportunities, which in turn has an effect on it’s outlook on life and sense of self worth. These are some of the reasons why education is a priority for all children.
I work in a residential community home for young people. Many of the young people I work with have either been excluded prior to admission, have educational needs or have had some problem involving their education, involving truancy, bullying etc.
Sometimes, just to get the child to school requires simple things like providing them with a nice new uniform, nice shoes, up to the minute fashion trainers, and they will go happily off to school, but not all are as easy as that. If they have been excluded, for example, then meetings between the school, social workers etc., has to be arranged and attended, problems addressed and ironed out, plan’s drawn up and agreed with, then carried through and so on.
One child who came into care didn’t have any previous problems with her school, but problems arose following her admission. It became common knowledge at her school that she was in a children’s home, and she was taunted and bullied at school because of it. Her teachers were insensitive to her situation. She confided in me, following a string of truancy that had been picked up by her school. She was very unhappy at school, and refused to go.
I suggested a meeting with the school and relevant individuals, which she agreed to. The outcome was that the school addressed the bullying, informed the relevant teachers of her situation, and gave out as much info as was needed to the school children in general, about children in care, and what it involved.
The child is now back at her school, happily attending daily and interacting with the children and her teachers on a new footing.
