Residential Care and the Integrated Education and Training Program (PIEF) - education as a response to young people at risk of exclusion

Abstract

The educational pathways of young people in residential care (AR) in Portugal are guided by alternative educational responses to mainstream education due to the growing age gap in education. The Integrated Education and Training Program (PIEF) is one such response, covering 27% of students in AR, as students with an age gap of 3 years or more are eligible, considering a school career starting at 6. This article analyses the academic trajectories of young people in AR, in the 2nd and 3rd Cycles, and the evolution of the PIEF. The literature review contributed to understanding the relevance of creating and maintaining the PIEF at a macro-national level and integrating young people in RA into the program. The microanalysis focused on the municipality of Évora, where 30% of the girls in a residential care home are integrated into the PIEF and concentrated on the perceptions of the heads of three schools about the inclusive nature of the program, which, according to the heads, is seen as a non-discriminatory response. However, threats to student success were identified, such as socio-economic exclusion and mental health issues, due to the lack of adequate responses in the municipality, especially affecting young people in residential care.