§ The Earl of Listowelasked Her Majesty's Government:
What proportion of children in care, or formerly in care, currently enter higher education; and [HL24171]
What proportion of children in care they expect to be entering higher education in 2010; and how they expect to realise this proportion. [HL2418]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathThere are at present no data on the numbers of care leavers who go on to higher education, though the Government are aware that very few do so. This remains a priority area for action and the Government have set a target for improving the life chances of young people who have been in public care: the level of employment, training or education in 2003–04 for young people aged 19 and who were looked after by local authorities in their 17th year on 1 April 2001 to be at least 75 per cent of the level among others of the same age in the area. There is no specific target for care leavers in higher education.
Joint Department for Education and Skills/ Department of Health Guidance on the Education of Young People in Public Care, issued to local authorities in May 2000, is beginning to bring about improvements in attainment levels. The Government believe that the measures in the guidance, combined with the continuing support for care leavers under the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000, will encourage more care leavers to go on to higher education.
A new statistical collection which will provide this information for care leavers aged 19 has recently been introduced by the Department of Health, and the first year of data will cover the 12 months ending 31 March 2002. The data will identify care leavers in higher education. The department plans to publish this information in autumn 2002.