The authors of Improving access to further and higher education for young people in public care: European policy and practise report on findings from a major European research project that aimed to increase participation in post-compulsory and higher education for young people in out-of-home care (referred to as ‘looked after children’ in England). Young People in Public Care: Pathways to Education in Europe (YiPPEE) is the first ever cross-national study that focussed on the post-compulsory schooling age educational needs of young people in care. Based on the largest in-depth interview sample undertaken in Europe thus far, it traces the experiences of young people in care and their progression into further and higher education across five countries.
The first author, Sonia Jackson, is not new to leading pioneering research. Despite research indicating that the educational attainment of young people in care is considerably low in jurisdictions that assume the responsibility for children who lack parental care, their education has attracted little attention world-wide. Sonia Jackson first led research into the education of children in care, specifically their participation in higher education, more than a decade ago with a 5-year longitudinal study of university students who had a care background in England. Owing to the findings of that study along with a tireless decade long campaign, Sonia managed to stimulate political interest in the education of children in care. Sonia has written or contributed to more than 80 publications on this topic. Her work has been heavily cited in countries such as the United States, Canada and Australia. The idea of the YiPPEE project has arisen from this pioneering study.
The second author, Claire Cameron, has also published widely in this area. She has led several national and cross-national studies of children and young people in care and coordinated the YiPPEE project.
Sonia and Claire's inspiration to establish the YiPPEE project was based on research findings that suggested: (a) some care leavers had possessed exceptional motivation to obtain higher education; (b) that they needed a very high degree of assistance to overcome obstacles; and (c) that their future employment, health, income and social integration have a close relationship with their educational attainment.
In addition to England, the other countries in the consortium were Denmark, Hungary, Spain and Sweden. The overall objectives of the project were to investigate educational pathways of young people in care across these five European Union (EU) countries, and to consider ways in which to retain and encourage their participation in education after the compulsory schooling age.
The findings of the project are comprehensive. The study established a baseline of post-compulsory educational participation of young people in care across the five countries. Factors within the education and care systems that facilitated entry and retention of these young people in post-compulsory education were identified for each of the countries. Furthermore, it provided a comparison of national policies and procedures relating to this group as well as other young people considered ‘at risk’.
The book consists of 10 chapters, with a chapter dedicated to describing the projects in each individual country. Chapter 1 explains the rationale for the project and how it fits within EU policy on social inclusion, especially with regard to young people. Chapter 2 examines the ways in which the welfare regimes in each country impact on children and young people in care. Chapter 3 details the overall design and methods of the research, including the necessary variations that had been made because of organisational and service differences between countries. Chapters 4 to 8 report on the findings separately for each country. Each chapter provides a brief description of the country, the policy and legislative frameworks of the care and education provided for children who live in out-of-home care, and the project itself. These chapters set the backdrop for understanding the findings and their implications for each country.
Chapter 9 examines the similarities and differences between countries with regard to their young people's transition to adulthood, with a focus on their educational pathways and outcomes. It examines how these are influenced by policy, legislation, administrative arrangements and cultural factors. Finally, chapter 10 considers how the aim of the YiPPEE project could be taken forward to enable more young people in care to participate in further and higher education so that they can benefit from education in similar ways to their peers who have their own families to nurture and support them into adulthood.
In essence, the authors discuss how educational opportunities of children in care can be significantly enhanced by improvements in policy and practise in each of the five countries. This discussion provides a guiding structure against which to appraise our own out-of-home care system and develop ways in which to improve the educational opportunities for Australian children in care. As such, it is an essential read for Australian researchers, policy-makers and politicians alike. The book is also useful for all social and community workers and educationalists who are involved in the lives of children in care.
