The Government hopes the scheme will be a way of raising theirachievement
YES BUT: Dick Davidson, spokesman, State Boarding School Association -Boarding school won't be the answer for all looked-after children anymore than it is the answer for all children. But the association hasbeen making the case for this for some years together with our partners.For some children the stability boarding schools can provide will givethem the educational opportunities they have been missing. Theeducational achievement of looked-after children is dreadful and one ofthe reasons is their disrupted educational experiences.
MAYBE: Susanna Cheal, chief executive, The Who Cares? Trust - Only if itis the right match for the child and is backed up with appropriatesupport in the holidays and during half-terms. It could be good forchildren if it offers them opportunities and if the children themselveswished to go to the school and have their views taken on board. It mustnot become the worst type of out-of-local-authority placement and itcannot be something that divides children from their communities. Itwill not be suitable for all young people.
NO BUT: Malcolm Horne, general secretary, Socialist EducationalAssociation - We have some reservations. We are totally opposed tosending them to private boarding schools. We do not believe we should bepropping up private boarding schools in this way. Children in careshould be in schools that are as near as possible to the schools theywould attend if they stayed with their families. However, we're notunhappy with the use of state boarding schools provided it does notdivorce children from their family and friends, and provided the childis happy to go to the school.
YES BUT: Pam Hibbert, principal policy officer, Barnardo's - This mightbe appropriate for a small number of looked-after children but cannot beseen as a solution to the educational under-achievement of all childrenin care. We know from Barnardo's' experience of running residentialschools that they can provide stability to enable children who haveexperienced chaotic lives to re-engage with learning processes. But wemust be wary of a return to the practice of wholesale shipping out oflooked-after children to boarding schools.
