Teachers making derogatory comments about children in care, study finds

Negative views of looked-after children are commonplace among teachers, with many labelling them “problem children”, a survey has found. Among more than 400 teachers surveyed, 87 per cent said they had heard at least one colleague express a negative view about looked-after children in their schools, with a third saying they heard such views often. Three quarters had heard a colleague say that children in care are less likely to succeed in life, while 70 per cent had heard them referred to as “problem children”. Nearly half or those surveyed reported hearing a teacher say that children in care are less academically able and 13 per cent had heard a colleague say that it is the child’s fault they are in care. The survey has been carried out by children in care charities Become and Voices From Care Cymru for their report Teachers Who Care. Read more.