Rami Benbenishty, Anat Zeira, Eran Melkman, Tehila Refaeli

Bar Ilan University & Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Funded by Jacobs Foundation

Care leavers are of the most socially excluded

groups in society (Stein, 2006)

Education- central for social mobility and a

key for the breaking of the ‘poverty cycle’

A small proportion of care leavers complete a

high school diploma of a high standard

The result:

A very small proportion of care leavers enroll in

higher education, and thus their earnings and

integration into society are impeded

What educational resources are

available for youth in the settings?

How much support is provided by

teachers or staff?

What is the role of peers?

What are their future educational

expectations and needs?

Sample: 1,685 adolescents (42% girls) from

34 youth villages. Attempt to survey all

relevant youth (40% response rate)

Youth villages:

Large facilities with school on premise

The most common form of placement in Israel

Children of families from the geographic or social

periphery of Israel

Procedure: Structured self-report

questionnaires

Immigration

Low level of education of parents (many do

not even know their parents’ education)

Limited exposure to adults with higher

education

Only about 40% of their staff have higher

education

High rates of diagnosed learning disabilities

and history of special education

86.282.0

77.4

69.3

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

100.0

I feel safe and

secure in school

I feel I belong my

school

I am satisfied with

the school

I like going to

school

82.1

70.168

48.7

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

My teachers

respect me

I have a good

relationship with

my teachers

I can trust most

teachers in my

school

I can talk to my

teachers about

personal things

77

6970

49

73

6058

22

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

I am satisfied

with the school

I like going to

school

I have a good

relationship

with my

teachers

I can talk to my

teachers about

personal things

Youth Villages

National Survey

91.184.8

71.1

56.5

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

My teachers know

my caretakers in

the youth village

My Teachers are in

contact with my

caretakers

My teachers tell

my caretakers how

to assist me in my

studies

My teachers know

what goes on with

me in the youth

village

89.987.8

64.260.3

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

I have many

friends in school

When I am sad or

feel bad, I always

have a friend in

school to talk to

Sometimes there

are students who

disturb my

studying

Most sudents in

my school have a

real motivation for

studying

76.8

75.6

79.6

81.7

82.2

89.6

90.1

93.4

0102030405060708090100

Expect me to go to college

Encourage thoughts about further studies

Attend school parent meetings

Help me with difficulties in school

Do all they can so that I have a diploma

Interested in how well I do in school

Know my teachers

Expect me succeed in my studies

The large majority plan to:

Complete a full matriculation diploma (90.8%)

Enlist in military or civil service (86.4%)

Enroll in higher education (61%) or vocational

training (26.2%)

Future education was important for many

They often think about it, plan it, and

actively look for related information

Having a great need for assistance

18.5

23.4

29.2

34.6

35.0

36.3

37.5

0510152025303540

Support for emotional difficulties

Preparing for final exams in high school

Counseling on study plans

Financing study related expenses

Financing daily living when studying

Preparing for HED admission exams

Paying tuition

On the one hand:

Feelings of belonging to school and of highly supportive teachers, staff, and peers

High educational aspirations

On the other:

More youth villages’ youth take the matriculation exams but less succeed (Benbenishty & Shimoni, 2012)

The disadvantage persists?

“ English sits exactly on my learning

disabilities. English exactly sits on the

gap I opened because of

coming…leaving home and not having

support in this. They don’t teach you

English in closed institutions or stuff

like that. Hebrew I learned by myself.

English, I couldn’t learn by myself”

“ Again the thing was I didn’t have, I

didn’t have the energy to focus on

studies. I didn’t have the possibility, I

was worried about so many things

that…that were going on. That I forgot

that I am actually here (in higher

education) to study, that my main goal I

thought was to earn money, eventually”

During care:

Broadening educational support and exposure to higher education

After leaving care:

Continuing youth villages’ educational support to HED (completion of diploma, entrance exams, counseling)

Financial support for further education (entrance exams, tuition, living)

Appropriate HED institutions’ policy

For more informationplease contact us:

eranmelkman@gmail.comor

hei4cal.com