Everybody working with looked after children, whether it be the foster carers, the social workers or whoever would give a very high priority to education

John Fenton Social worker

In the north and north east regions, the two boards have joined forces to tackle the problems facing 500 children who are looked after by social services in the area.

John Fenton, a senior social worker, had to rely on national figures on the plight of these children until recently.

"There are a number of reasons as to why a child is looked after by a trust," he said.

"It is really related to either abuse in the family or neglect or the parents struggling to cope looking after that child for whatever reason.

"We found that foster children in particular, while some of them do very well academically and some of them go on to university, in general they do less well than children in general."

Poor performance

Some small studies have been done before, but work by the Northern Health Board and North Eastern Education Board is for the first time, definitive.

School principals in the North Eastern Board had a stark story to tell about the poor performance of eight-year-old children in care.

Only 40% managed to reach the learning target for their age compared to 94% of all children in Northern Ireland.

Children in care are falling behind academically

In the tests at 14-years of age, 38% reached or passed the target, compared to 70% in the population generally.

Although most of the children see the value of education and the schools are concerned about the pupils sometimes there are not enough resources dedicated to help.

"Everybody working with looked after children, whether it be the foster carers, the social workers or whoever would give a very high priority to education," said Mr Fenton.

Nobody can ever take away what is inside their heads

Pamela Woods Education welfare officer

Children who are in care are much more likely to have learning difficulties, but even taking that into account, they are doing badly.

Pamela Woods is an education welfare officer for the Education Board.

"Because these particular children are looked after they have had particularly damaging experiences which have brought them into care in the first place," she said.

Government benefits

"The young people themselves will tell you that it is okay, they can get into school but nobody can ever take away what is inside their heads."

The efforts of the two boards in gathering the evidence are well ahead of the government which is only to start collecting annual figures within the next few months.

Three teachers have already been appointed to work with the young people on literacy and numeracy and to advise the schools, residential care workers and foster families.

The Department of Health said one of its targets was to improve the educational achievements.

Some children in care do pass exams and go on to higher education, but the qualifications which could be the key to a better life are hard to come by.

Over two thirds of the boys in care leave school with no grades to show employers, compared to a Northern Ireland average of only 8%.

It is not surprising that an average 35% of those who leave care do not have jobs and depend on government benefits.