Comment: New DfE statistics on children missing education

On children missing from education Heather Sandy, Chair of the ADCS Education Policy Committee, said:

“For some children, going missing from education can be the first sign of vulnerability to all forms of abuse and neglect, including sexual exploitation or radicalisation. Current legislation does not enable local authorities to effectively safeguard those vulnerable learners who are attending an unregistered or ‘illegal school’ or to ensure that they receive a suitable education. There is no requirement on these schools, or on parents/carers of children being electively home educated, to provide any information or evidence of the quality of their pupils’ educational experiences or of their health and wellbeing, which means we do not always know when children have fallen off the radar. This is seriously concerning for all directors of children’s services as it reduces our ability to ensure that learners are safe and receiving a well-rounded curriculum that enables them to thrive. Having a register of children not in school will help to establish exactly how many children are being educated other than at school and assist in the identification of children who are vulnerable to harm.”

ENDS

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