"Must do better" says SCSH of schools role in preventing homelessness

In its contribution to the Scottish Executive’s National Debate on Education the Scottish Council for Single Homeless today demanded that schools do more to prevent youth homelessness. Disproportionate numbers of young people leave school only to experience homelessness, and too many end up having to sleep rough (see Notes below). Yet, says John Dickie, Head of SCSH’s Youth Team, feedback from young people suggests few are taught anything about leaving home or housing at school;

"Despite recent Executive guidance stressing the need for leaving home and housing education in schools, too many schools do not see the importance of preventing homelessness. SCSH has today outlined three vital steps needed if schools are to play their proper role in preventing the scandal of youth homelessness.

Firstly, all schools should include leaving home and housing education in their curriculum. Many, with the support of SCSH’s own resources and training, already do.

Secondly, with research showing clear links between exclusion and underachievement at school and experience of homelessness, schools need to be doing more to keep challenging young people within the mainstream. Exclusion from school can lead to a lifetime of exclusion, with massive costs to society and the individual.

Thirdly, with schools hard pressed to ensure safe classroom environments and academic achievement for the majority, the Scottish Executive needs to ensure schools have the resources to ensure they can also meet the needs of the most challenging pupils, who are often those most at risk of homelessness"

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Notes

• The National Debate on Education, launched by the Scottish Executive to help develop its long term strategy for Education ends on 12 July 2002 see www.scotland.gov.uk/ nationaldebate/. 
• According to Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletin HSG/2000/5, of the 45700 households applying to local authorities as homeless, 35% were aged under 25. Furthermore the Executives Rough Sleeper Initiative Interim Evaluation found 42% of RSI service users were under 25.
• The recent Scottish Executive Homelessness Task Force Final Report states that local authorities corporate homelessness strategies should "review and, as necessary, make proposals for improvements in…the provision of leaving home and housing education in schools and other youth services".