The children's commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, has warned that official statistics may underestimate the number of teenagers not in education, employment, or training (Neet).
Her report indicates that approximately 42,000 16- and 17-year-olds are registered at college but are absent for at least half of their scheduled sessions. These individuals are described as having gone "under the radar" and are not receiving necessary support.
The report, based on attendance data from 262 college groups in England, highlights that attendance rates in colleges are "substantially lower" than in schools. It suggests that over half of 16- and 17-year-olds are persistently absent, missing 10% or more of college sessions.
The Department for Education (DfE) has stated its intention to assist colleges in tracking attendance and to eventually collect this data centrally. Currently, further education and sixth form colleges in England are not mandated to collect or report attendance data.