EDUCATING CHILDREN IN THE PUBLIC CARE - A STRATEGIC APPROACH

The education of children who are looked after by local authorities is now rightly a national issue. Manchester City Council is one of the f ew local authorities to develop a substantial provision which specific ally focuses on the educational needs of a group of children largely i gnored by public service planners. This paper argues that in the conte xt of children looked after by local authorities education and social work objectives are interdependent. The Manchester Teaching Service ha s been at the forefront of national development and change and a numbe r of local authorities are seeking to develop a similar service based on the same principles and objectives. The paper concludes with a part icular case study designed to illustrate the philosophy and purpose of the provision in a practical context.