A CHARITY for young carers has hit out at schools for not offering enough support.
The Princess Royal Trust for Carers says most children who look after sick relatives in Yorkshire do not get the help they need.
In a questionnaire produced by the trust, 83% of the more than 14,000 such children in Yorkshire said their school did not help at all.
A further 40% said that having more time to do homework would be a great help.
Alex Fox, the trust's young carers development manager, said: "Young carers often tell us they don't see a future beyond caring because they don't have any qualifications.
"We can't always ensure families find a better source of support than a young person.
"But we want to make sure young carers receive a fair education, so they can have a future.
"Giving young carers extra time to do their homework is not about them shirking their responsibilities.
"We want schools to be a bit more flexible to make sure they get an education, like other young people.
"After all, 41% of the young carers said they liked school.
"They are not asking for much to help make the most of their education."
Another issue highlighted by the carers was being able to phone home during the day to check if there was a problem.
Mr Fox added: "I am also concerned that this questionnaire found 21% of young carers had trouble getting to school because of transport issues.
"The Government provides support to disabled children to get to school, but not to disabled parents to get their children to school."
Are you a young carer? The Examiner would like to hear about your experiences. Contact Richard Porritt on 01484 437768.
