Today, the 24th of January is the International Day of Education (https://www.unesco.org/en/days/education) and celebrates the role education plays in our society. Most of us have grown up being told of the importance of education. But why is education so important and does it go beyond just getting a job and making your parents (foster or otherwise) happy?
Education develops critical thinking and is vital in teaching a person how to use logic when making decisions and interacting with people. Education does help individuals meet basic job qualifications, but research shows it also makes them more likely to secure better jobs and develop further within them.
In the UK 1.8 million pupils are persistently absent from school. Children who are poor attendees may have grown up with inconsistent parental attitudes to education and may perceive their parents as not having achieved at school and so follow their lead. Unfortunately, this can mean that young people entering foster care have a higher propensity to be absent and behind in their learning.
This was exactly the scenario with one of our foster children, Simon, whose initial assessment on entering foster care was that he was working below Year 1 level across all subjects, effectively 2 years behind where he should have been. This was due to a high absence record and limited support and encouragement at home with schoolwork generally, particularly reading. This had a detrimental effect on Simon’s early education, affected his self-esteem leading to teasing and bullying from classmates. Teachers said Simon had no learning difficulties, he demonstrated a willingness to learn and concluded that, in the right environment, he had the ability to progress.
Through joint working with the school, local authority, Young People at Heart and Simon’s foster carers, additional funding was obtained for 1:1 support at school and additional Teaching Assistant Support around reading and comprehension. This progressed to after school tuition in key subjects, supported and encouraged by Simon’s foster carers.
The foster carers and Young People at Heart Social Work Assistants worked to support the program by helping Simon with homework, providing encouragement for learning, and ensuring his school attendance record was close to, or at, 100%. In the loving, nurturing environment of the foster home Simon thrived, embraced learning, and after a year was able to read and work just below the Year 3 level and a year later was meeting all the criteria for a Year 4 student.
At the key stage 2 tests last year, Simon was above age-related expectations in maths, punctuation, and spelling, age-related or above in reading and age-related in writing. This has had a hugely positive impact on Simon because his self-esteem has improved exponentially, he has made friends and is confident in school and with his peers. A simple but powerful reminder of the positive domino effect a good education can have on many aspects of a person’s life and outlook.
As a foster care organisation our objective is to achieve the best possible outcome for every young person placed in our care and to enable our young people to develop to their full potential. Education plays a major role in this, so we are proud today to be supporting the International Day of Education and reflecting on a very powerful, life-changing story.
