Thousands of teens missing education 'under the radar' of official stats, report warns
The children's commissioner for England says many are enrolled at college but aren't showing up.
An investigation by the children's commissioner reveals that tens of thousands of teenagers could be missing out on education, employment, or training (Neet) due to their absence from college, which is not reflected in official statistics. Dame Rachel de Souza's report, based on attendance data from 262 college groups in England, suggests that around 52.2% of 16- and 17-year-olds are persistently absent, missing 10% or more of their college sessions, while 5.9% are severely absent, missing at least half of their sessions.
These "hidden Neets" are not getting the support they need, according to Dame Rachel, who attributes their absence to factors such as part-time work and travel costs. She emphasizes that the Department for Education's (DfE) lack of attendance data collection is allowing the issue to go unnoticed. The DfE estimates that 57,000 16- and 17-year-olds are Neet, and the commissioner argues that these persistently absent teenagers should be considered among them.
The report recommends that the government collect and set targets for attendance data, expedite the rollout of mental health support teams in colleges, and address funding pressures to better support these students.
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