Children's Needs – Parenting Capacity - Digital Education Resource ...

184 Children’s Needs – Parenting CapacityMoreover, when parental attention is focused on themselves, they may be unawareof what is going on in relation to young people’s education and schooling.I didn’t really get anywhere at school. I missed loads ’cause they (her parents)didn’t bother telling me to go and then when I did go, I’d be worrying whatwas happening at home. When it came to exams, I never did any revision – youcouldn’t in our house, there was always something going on. I remember oneexam, I’d been up ’til four in the morning ’cause the police were round and thenthey were fighting. It’s no wonder I’m thick now.(Fiona 17 years, quoted in Turning Point 2006, p.11)For other young people school and education can offer a way out of their presentsituation, an opportunity to build a different life from what they are experiencingat home.My parents’ drinking ... I guess it did me a favour in one way ... made me notwant to be like them, do something positive with my life. I knew I didn’t wantto turn out like that, on the social and everything. I got my exams and got a jobstraight after school.(Gemma 18 years, quoted in Turning Point 2006, p.11)The stresses of coping with parental problems and undertaking the care ofyounger siblings can take its toll on young people’s education. Research suggestsmany young carers find it difficult to strike the right balance between home andeducation, and although some go on to further education, it is more common foryoung carers to have poor qualifications or none at all (Dearden and Becker 2003).As a result, although young carers often have greater maturity and coping ability, theconsequences for their education and exam results of caring for a parent with severeproblems tends to restrict them to lower-paid jobs.When behaviour within school results in exclusion, young people need an adultto champion their cause, strive for their re-entry into education or ensure theirlearning continues (Cleaver 1996). This is important not only because academic andskill-based qualifications are strong predictors of future careers (Banks et al. 1992),but also because many excluded pupils have few if any friends (Galloway et al.1982). However, securing a mentor may be hampered because many young peoplewhose parents have mental illness, learning disabilities, drug or alcohol problems orlive with domestic violence have mixed feelings about discussing their families withteachers.I didn’t like talking about things at school, I always thought they’d talk to otherpeople, that everyone would know.(Laura 17 years, quoted in Turning Point 2006, p.19)Finally, a lack of educational attainment has long-term effects on children’s lifechances. Early school leavers who are unemployed have been shown to have much