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Young Carers and Education

Young Carers and Schools
 Guidelines for carer-friendly schools
Teacher Resources

Young Carers and Education

Due to their caring responsibilities, young carers frequently are unable to attend school, complete homework and assignments, or focus on educational tasks due to fatigue or worry for their relative with an illness or disability.

We didn't want people to know in case they thought Dad wasn't looking after me proper. I mean he was,
      but we were scared that because he was in a wheelchair they'd take me away (Steven 14 years)
 
References:
CA Young Carers Research Project
Moore & Kelly, 2001

Disillusioned and Unwilling

It has also been shown that as a result of a lack of support and stigma around disability and caring that the young person faces at school makes them disillusioned and unwilling to participate in education (Moore & Kelly 2001:6) .

This has huge impacts - evident in the following findings:

  • Only 4% of young primary carers (ie the main caregiver) are still at school, compared to 23% of the general population
     
  • 60% of young primary carers (between 15 and 25 years) are unemployed or not in the labour force, compared to 38% of the general population in this age group

(from CA Young Carers Research Project)

 

 

 

 
 
  

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