Thousands of teens missing education 'under the radar' of official stats, report warns
The children's commissioner has warned that tens of thousands of 16- and 17-year-olds in England are missing significant amounts of college education without being captured by official statistics. These 'hidden' students are often vulnerable and lack the necessary support systems to remain engaged in education.
Why it matters
The report highlights a significant gap in educational oversight that leaves vulnerable teenagers without support, potentially impacting their long-term life outcomes.
Image source, Getty Images By Hazel Shearing Education correspondent Published 12 minutes ago There could be tens of thousands more teenagers who are not in education, employment or training (Neet) than official statistics suggest, the children's commissioner has warned.
A report by Dame Rachel de Souza said around 42,000 16- and 17-year-olds were officially classed as studying at college, but were not showing up at least half of the time.
She said they had gone "under the radar" and were "not getting the support that they need".
The Department for Education (DfE) said it planned to help colleges track attendance and ultimately to gather that data centrally.
Unlike schools, further education and sixth form colleges in England are not required to collect or report attendance data.
Dame Rachel's report is based on attendance data obtained from 262 college groups in England and says rates are "substantially lower" than in schools.
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