RECOGNISING BARRIERS TO ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF FOSTER CHILDREN IN MALAYSIA

Previous studies have shown that foster children frequently perform poorly in school

(Watson & Kabler, 2012; Emerson & Lovitt, 2003; Zetlin, Weinberg & Kimm, 2003). Most

foster children remain in the same grade at least once, are in need of special education

classes, and have higher rates of dropout than non-foster children (Zetlin, Weinberg, and

Kimm, 2004). The reason for their poor academic performance is uncertain. According to

Sala (2009), some of the children in foster care in Kenya reported skipping school to look for

food because their foster caregivers provided them with one meal per day or sometimes,

none. Consequently, these children have to miss school to look, beg, and raise money for

food (ibid.). This could also be one of the reasons for their absenteeism and dropout of

school. Similarly, Chan (2013) found that some foster children turn to stealing because they

are not provided with adequate provision of food and pocket money. Using data derived

from interviewing the teachers in school, this study aims to examine whether the inadequate

provision of food and pocket money can affect the academic performance of children in

foster care. Content analysis approach is used in this qualitative study. The narratives

elicited from the interviews are analysed based on Searle’s (1969) Speech Acts Theory. This

study reveals that the teachers used representative speech acts to describe, make claims, and

complaints about the lack of pocket money and inadequate provision of food that might

affect the academic performance of the foster children in school.