But Victoria’s commissioner for children and young people, Liana Buchanan, fears Jane could be an outlier, and is launching a systemic inquiry into the schooling experience of those in out-of-home care.continue, Buchanan says the more vulnerable students will suffer the most.
“Schools are stretched at the moment just to get enough teachers to cover classes …but when we’re talking about stretched systems, that’s an explanation, not an excuse,” she said. Buchanan says the consequences of schools being unable to properly respond to the challenges faced by children in out-of-home care did not end with poor educational outcomes.
Buchanan said those children spoke about schools that made them feel as if they were too much trouble, or who punished them harshly when they stepped out of line, causing them to disengage. They also spoke of a stigma and bullying connected to living in out-of-home care. “There’s nothing more important than the safety and wellbeing of children – that’s why we are taking significant steps to improve the child and family services system in response to recommendations made by the commission.