Education Secretary Alan Johnson outlined proposals on Monday to improve the fortunes of England's 60,000 children in care, many of whom end up with few educational qualifications or in jail, according to Reuters. A green paper -- a government discussion document -- suggested ways to reduce the number of times children in care are moved from one home to another. In addition, children in care would have the right to choose when they leave care once they reach 16 while measures could be introduced to ensure they are placed in the best schools. Once they are adults there could be provisions to offer financial security, including a 2,000 pounds bursary to enable youngsters to go to university. "Children in care already face a tougher life than any child should have to. As a proxy parent the state must raise its ambitions for these children, just as a good parent would, and transform their life chances," Johnson said in a statement. He said children currently in care often have their education disrupted by continual changes and regularly end up in the worst schools as they are often the only ones with vacancies for new admissions. Johnson added that one key platform of the proposals is to allow cared-for children to remain with their foster parents for longer. "A critical aspect will be enabling children in care to stay with foster parents, just as other young people stay with their natural parents when in further or higher education." Recent reports have highlighted the poor educational achievement of children in care, with many ending up in prison. Government figures show children in care significantly under perform their peers with only 11 percent obtaining 5 good GCSE's in 2005 compared with 56 percent nationally. Martin Narey of the Barnardo's children charity welcomed the green paper. "It is to the Government's considerable credit that they acknowledge that the system is not working as it should and we welcome their determination to effect substantial improvements."
