WIDER POLICIES
Commentary on Education and Skills Policy

Projects in England and Scotland must specifically look at the problems of low education and skills among homeless people.

The Government department responsible for education and skills in England (DfES) does not appear to be trying to grapple with the issues relating to homeless people.  The net result is that there is currently no obvious Government policy in England for addressing low education and skills among homeless people.

A similar situation appears to exist in Scotland.

This contrasts with Wales, where there is a clear, major programme for learning development which explicitly includes homeless people.  It also contrasts with the situation in England for care leavers, who have similarly poor standards^[1] but where there are explicit policies in place to improve these standards.^[2]

The conclusion is that both the UK government (relating to England) and the Scottish Executive should initiate projects specifically to increase the education and skills levels among homeless people and develop a policy response to address the current problem of low skill levels.

Issues that such projects would need to grapple with include:

• Lack of awareness of scale of problem: The apparent lack of any authoritative research on the scale of the problems of low education and skills among homeless people.
• Lack of learning and skills services for homeless people: Recent research commissioned by Crisis into the levels of learning and skills amongst homeless people has identified that whilst 37% of homeless people have no qualfications, 59% of homeless people would like to be involved in learning and skills activities but only 19% currently are. And only one 3rd of agencies that providing housing related support to homeless people also offer support to engage in wider activities like learning^[3]. This research showed that those who have been homeless for the longest period are much less likely to engage in learning, hence the importance of ensuring that assessment of the need for learning and encouragement of its take-up is addressed at the outset of contact with the individual by homelessness agencies
• Need for a wider value system including life skills:  A wider value system, to encompass life skills (which are difficult to measure) and to value other qualifications/activities that help homeless people to engage in learning in some way.
• Need for focus on homeless people of all ages: The need to tackle low education and skills among homeless people aged 22 and over as well as those aged up to 21, and thus to provide an integrated policy response for all ages.
• Coverage: The need to engage with the more vulnerable end of homelessness as well as the less vulnerable end.  This will require a policy response which reaches out to both find and engage such people.
• 16-hour rule: The restriction that anyone over the age of 18 cannot claim Housing Benefit if they are studying for more than 16 hours a week.  This should be removed (see Housing Benefit Policy section).

[1] In 2001/02, almost 50% of care leavers had no qualifications at all.  For more details, see A better education for children in care, Social Exclusion Unit, 2003. Back to text

[2] Guidance on the education of children and young people in public care, Department of Health and Department for Education and Skills, 2000.Back to text

[3] Opinion Leader Research (2006) Homeless People and Learning and Skills - participation, barriers and progression.  Back to text

Page last modified on 07/07/2006 at 19:01