Page 34 - RUICHSS 2023 Proceeding

University of Ruhuna ISSN: 2706-0063
Matara, Sri Lanka

parent(s), and the psychological consequences of early parental loss are more

pronounced, the older the child becomes (Kovač, 2015).

Students belonging to the Roma minority:

Members of the Roma minority are less likely to attend secondary schools, which
is an obstacle to continuing their education at a higher level (Baranović, 2009).

LGBT+ students:

The results of a study conducted on a sample of high school students in Croatia
(Jugović & Bezinović, 2015) show that LGBT+ students are more likely than
heterosexual students to be exposed to relational violence and physical violence in

school and are a potentially vulnerable group of students in higher education in
Croatia. Furthermore, LGBT+ students face ignorance and prejudice that can,

according to the UN Office of the Human Rights High Commissioner (UN
OHCHR, 2019), take the form of discriminatory education policies, regulations,
curricula, and teaching materials and practices. They are also exposed to

homophobic/transphobic comments by both their peers and, although more rarely,
staff (Štambuk et al., 2022), and the lack of LGBT-friendly and/or specialised

support services.

Students coming from alternative care:

Young people from alternative care settings often participate in vocational
education programmes, after which it is more difficult to continue their education
at a higher level. In addition, financial difficulties make it more difficult for this

group of young people to continue their education at higher levels (Šimić et al.,
2011).

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