26th June 2014 9:00
By Blue Tutors
New figures suggest that thousands of children are not attending school or gaining minimum qualifications. Research conducted by the National Children’s Bureau suggests that many children have no school place and/or are unknown to the authorities. The research looked at 79 local authorities, and showed that as many as 7,701 children are reported as missing class every day. Based on the findings from the councils involved in the study, the charity estimates that more than 14,800 children are not in education at any time in the whole country.
The research also suggests that of the children missing school, there are an estimated 3,000 children whose whereabouts is unknown. The charity also warned that many of the children who make up the figures are not in education because they are waiting for a school place. The other explanations offered by local authorities for the missing children are that some have been excluded from school, some have special education needs, some are teenage mothers and some have moved overseas. Children are officially considered to be missing education if they are not on a school roll, and are not registered for home or other alternative education. According to the charity, those who are not in education are at far greater risk of exploitation.
The department for education has said that the charity’s research is misleading and unhelpful. In particular, they highlight the fact that the report includes children who have missed one or two days of school, which may be down to illness and not point to a more serious problem. However, the National Children’s Bureau has called on the government to conduct a national review of children missing education, and to improve the way statistics are collected. They have urged to government to take their findings seriously, pointing out that children missing education are more likely to be vulnerable to abuse, and more likely to become victims of forced marriage.