"Every time ministers look at this issue they are shocked," said schoolsminister Jacqui Smith at a Labour Party conference meeting held bychildren's charity NCH.
The discrepancy in achievement between children in care and their peerswas "disgraceful", she added.
And she admitted that although the Government had made progress, forexample by placing a duty on councils to promote the educationalachievement of looked-after children, there was still much more to do.She said ministers were determined to ensure the new legal and policyframework had an impact.
"The problem is not that we don't have a big pot of money. We need aculture change so that those who have got the resources begin to carefor looked-after children in the same way we care about our ownchildren."
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