A stark warning from England’s children’s commissioner has exposed a hidden crisis in young people’s education, with up to 42,000 sixteen and seventeen-year-olds potentially classified as ‘hidden’ NEETs (not in education, employment or training) due to chronic absenteeism from college.
Dame Rachel de Souza’s comprehensive report reveals that while official statistics may suggest thousands are engaged in further education, a significant proportion are attending classes far less than they should, effectively disappearing from the radar of support systems and policy interventions. This gap in data collection has left vulnerable young people without the assistance they desperately need.
The Hidden Epidemic of College Absenteeism
The findings paint a concerning picture of educational disengagement. According to the commissioner’s investigation, which analysed attendance data from 262 college groups across England, over half (52.2%) of sixteen and seventeen-year-olds in further education are classified as persistently absent under school-style attendance standards – meaning they miss ten percent or more of their sessions. Alarmingly, approximately 42,000 students (5.9%) fall into the severely absent category, missing at least half of their college attendance.
Unlike traditional schools, further education and sixth form colleges in England are not mandated to collect or report attendance data, creating a significant blind spot in national education monitoring. The Department for Education currently estimates 57,000 sixteen and seventeen-year-olds as NEET, but Dame Rachel argues that these persistently absent students should be counted alongside them as ‘hidden’ NEETs, unable to access vital support services due to their invisibility in official statistics.
Root Causes Behind the Numbers
Speaking to the BBC, Dame Rachel identified a complex web of factors contributing to chronic absenteeism among young people. Many students juggle part-time employment with their studies, a reality that naturally leads to occasional absences. However, the commissioner emphasized that those who are “far more vulnerable” are likely to be severely absent, with some having been largely absent from education since the disruptions of the Covid pandemic.
Principal Liam Sloan of Bolton College provided insight into the human element behind the statistics. He noted that while not many students miss more than half of their classes, those who do often face significant challenges including mental health difficulties or the need to work to support themselves financially. “Sometimes the student being able to be offered that £30 shift there and then means more… than the potential qualification in six or seven months’ time,” Sloan observed, highlighting the immediate economic pressures that can override long-term educational aspirations.
The challenge is particularly acute in English and maths GCSE classes, which students must study alongside other courses if they haven’t achieved grade 4 or above. These foundational subjects often prove difficult to navigate while balancing other commitments, leading to further disengagement.
Calls for Comprehensive Reform
In response to the findings, Dame Rachel has outlined several critical recommendations for government action. These include establishing mandatory attendance data collection and targets for sixteen and seventeen-year-olds in further education, expediting the rollout of mental health support teams in colleges, expanding work experience opportunities, and introducing free bus travel for young people to reduce transport barriers.
The Department for Education has acknowledged the concerns, with a spokesperson committing to prioritise students in further education in future reforms. The department also announced plans to introduce a new stepping-stone qualification aimed at reducing the cycle of students failing and resitting GCSE maths and English endlessly. Additionally, the DfE confirmed it would accelerate the rollout of mental health support teams and implement systems to track college attendance data centrally.
Cath Sezen, director of education policy at the Association of Colleges, welcomed many of the recommendations but highlighted resource constraints as a significant barrier. “We have called time and time again for increased investment, better integration of support services and a stronger national strategy for employer engagement,” Sezen stated, underscoring the urgent need for adequate funding to implement meaningful change.
A Generation at Risk
The issue gains further urgency when viewed alongside the Office for National Statistics data showing approximately one in eight people aged 16 to 24 are currently NEET. In May, former minister Alan Milburn’s interim report warned this figure could rise to one in six within five years, painting a picture of a generation “at risk of being lost.” The final instalment of Milburn’s review, expected imminently, is anticipated to provide additional recommendations for tackling this growing crisis.
The distinction between Dame Rachel’s ‘hidden’ NEETs (enrolled but persistently absent) and Milburn’s definition (NEET and not claiming benefits, making them harder to reach) illustrates the multifaceted nature of the challenge. Both perspectives converge on a single truth: without proper identification and intervention, vulnerable young people will continue to fall through the cracks of our education and support systems.
Recent initiatives by some colleges, such as Bolton College’s introduction of full-time ‘positive engagement officers’ who greet students each morning and proactively contact those who don’t attend, demonstrate that targeted approaches can yield results. However, these remain isolated efforts rather than part of a coordinated national strategy.
Why it Matters
The revelation of tens of thousands of hidden NEET teenagers represents more than just a statistics gap—it exposes a systemic failure to identify and support vulnerable young people at a critical stage of their development. Without accurate data collection and targeted interventions, these students face long-term consequences including limited career prospects, reduced earning potential, and increased likelihood of social exclusion. The implications extend beyond individual lives to broader economic considerations, as a generation’s educational disengagement threatens future productivity and innovation. Addressing this crisis requires immediate action to improve data collection, increase funding for support services, and create pathways that recognise the complex realities facing today’s young people—from mental health challenges to economic necessity. The cost of inaction is measured not just in pounds sterling, but in human potential left unrealised.
