News

Every day, 3,000 children miss education – and we have no idea where they are

Pupil wellbeing
On any given day in England, the whereabouts of an estimated 3,000 children who should be in school are unknown. At the same time, almost 5,000 children are awaiting a place in school or some form of alternative provision. Pete Henshaw reports

Alarming new figures reveal that in total as many as 14,800 children miss education every day – the equivalent of around 15 average-sized secondary schools. It is feared that many of the 3,000 young people whose whereabouts are unknown could be at serious risk of neglect, abuse or other harm.

The figures have been revealed in a report, Not Present, What Future?, which emphasises the links between children missing from education and risks such as sexual exploitation and forced marriage.

It states: “Certain groups of already vulnerable children are at particular risk of missing education, including pupils at risk of harm or neglect, children of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller families, children of the armed forces, missing children or runaways, (and) children and young people supervised by the youth justice system.”

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