The Story Vol 21

Black and Asian
children and
those in deprived
neighbourhoods are
more likely to prioritise
having a good job/
career in the future.
Having a good job or career was the most
common priority for those surveyed, with 69%
saying this was a priority for when they grow
up. This is even higher among ethnic minority
children and those from a deprived background.
75% of Asian children and 76% of black children
said this was one of their top future priorities,
compared with 68% of white children.
72% of children in the most deprived
neighbourhoods said this, compared with 68%
of children in the most affluent neighbourhoods.
Children in care
Children and young people in care were more
likely than other children to be unhappy with
their family life (14%) compared to 6% of other
children.
The top three future aspirations among children
in care were:
1. A good job or career (66%)
2. Enough money to buy the things they need
(60%)
3. Good friends (57%)
Children in care were also more likely to say that
having a nice home in the future is one of their
main aspirations (43%) compared with 36.5% of
those not in care.
They were less likely than other children to
say that a healthy environment and planet is
important for their future (14% vs. 22%).
So what?
Sometimes work with
young people in lowincome
areas is aimed
at ‘raising aspirations’
but these results
suggest these young
people are more likely
than their affluent peers
to prioritise education
and a future career. For
some, it may be less an
issue of low aspirations
and more an issue of
how to achieve their
goals.
P.5