Specific socio-educational dimensions of university students with administrative protection measure

Abstract

Youth living in protection system's centers have specific social difficulties that affect negatively the process of school inclusion. The adolescentes protected by the protection system present worse academic indicators than their peers. The previous investigations indicate that few of this young people attend University courses. The present study aimed to analyze which socio-educational dimensions affect the University itinerary of students who, at the time of starting their degrees, come from residential protection centers. A qualitative investigation organized in two phases according to the grounded theory was designed. In phase one, 154 interviews during four longitudinal follow-ups of 36 months each one were carried out. In phase two, 18 interviews were conducted to prepare six life stories. 10 students participated in the research, seven female students and three male students. The participants studied at campus that belong to Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña and Vigo universities. The results indicate that the situation of vulnerability of youth in care increases at the time they start the University. The coverage of the protection system disappears when the youngs leave the residential protection centers. The absence of a social and institutional support hinder the process of integration of these youngs. Socio-educational deficits, related with the dimensions that favored overcoming school goals, increase during the University time. It is concluded that Universities and the protection system must implement support mechanisms that favor the academic itineraries of these youngs. University corporate responsibility has yet to address the needs of vulnerable students due to social factors.

Keywords: Universities, social exclusion, social inequality, educational strategies, inclusion, university  students, foster care