Almost 50,000 children disappeared from schools last year putting them at risk of being radicalised, trafficked or exploited, a report will say this week.
Children are classed as “missing education” if they are not registered at a school or receiving suitable lessons elsewhere, such as home schooling.
There is no central database of such children but local authorities keep records in their areas. The National Children’s Bureau received responses from 137 councils and found 49,187 children had been reported as absent from education last year.
Zoe Renton, of the charity, told The Sunday Telegraph: “The danger is that these are children who are potentially off the radar.” The bureau’s report will be published on Wednesday. It wants the government to analyse the data nationally and to review its direction to councils on the method of collection.
Statutory guidance for local authorities warns that children missing education “are at significant risk of underachieving, being victims of harm, exploitation or radicalisation”.
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The Department for Education said: “Councils already have a duty to intervene if there are safeguarding concerns or if they believe children are not receiving a safe and suitable education.”
