Over one-quarter of care experienced young people do not complete their Leaving Certificate.
With that in mind, a new toolkit has been launched by the organisation EPIC, Empowering People in Care, to help schools with the “additional challenges” their students face.
“What we really want to do with this toolkit is to support them to stay in school, thrive in school and progress through their education, so that they can progress on to further and higher education,” EPIC spokesperson Tara Madden told Breakfast Briefing.
Ms Madden said schools need to be supported to provide “safe environments” for care experienced young people.
“Children in care are supported by their foster care parents but I suppose that may be out of their control in terms of where their placement is,” she said.
“So, really what we need to be doing is supporting their wellbeing in schools.
“So that schools have an understanding of care and of the impact of care on children.”
Children in school uniform on a visit. Picture by: PjrTravel / AlamyAccording to the CSO, 28% of care-experienced children did not complete their Leaving Certificate between 2013 and 2016, compared to only 8% of the general population.
Ms Madden hopes the toolkit will be able to help teachers support those who are struggling at school.
“So, this toolkit aims to provide an understanding of the experiences of care experienced children and young people,” she said.
“And to be sensitive to care experiences in the classroom; so that they feel supported and that their wellbeing and mental health is supported.”
Ms Madden said it is important that teachers give care-experienced children a certain amount of “leeway”.
“To have that sensitivity and awareness around care will help teachers to understand what may be the circumstances of a child in care and what flexibility and supports they need in the classroom,” she said.
There are currently around 5,500 foster children in Ireland.
Main image: Students doing their Leaving Cert exams. Picture by: AG News / Alamy Stock Photo
