Report warns thousands of college teens are ‘hidden Neets’ missing education

A significant number of teenagers in England are going unnoticed by official statistics, with a new report warning that tens of thousands of 16- and 17-year-olds are effectively missing education despite being enrolled in colleges.

Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner, found that approximately 42,000 students classified as studying at college were absent for at least half of their sessions. These individuals have gone “under the radar,” leaving them without the necessary support systems.

The Department for Education (DfE) currently does not mandate that further education and sixth form colleges in England collect or report attendance data, a requirement that schools must follow. Consequently, Dame Rachel’s analysis, which drew on attendance figures from 262 college groups, indicated that participation rates were “substantially lower” than in the school sector.

Her findings suggest that 52.2% of teenagers in this age group are persistently absent, missing 10% or more of their classes, while around 42,000—representing 5.9%—are severely absent. The DfE’s current estimate places the number of 16- to 17-year-olds not in education, employment, or training (Neet) at 57,000. Dame Rachel argues that these persistently absent students should be counted as “hidden” Neets alongside that figure.

Telling the BBC, Dame Rachel identified several drivers for non-attendance, including the cost of travel, part-time employment, and lingering effects of the pandemic. She noted that while some students missed class for work, those who were “far more vulnerable” were the ones severely absent. She described the lack of central data collection as “shocking,” adding, “It’s under the radar and these kids are not getting the support that they need.”

Liam Sloan, principal of Bolton College, observed that while few students missed more than half their classes, chronic absences were often linked to mental health issues or the immediate need for income. “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,” he said. He also highlighted difficulties surrounding mandatory English and maths GCSE retakes for students scoring below a grade 4.

Bolton College has recently seen improved attendance rates and has introduced full-time “positive engagement officers” to welcome students and follow up on absences. Dame Rachel’s report urges the government to implement several recommendations, including setting attendance targets for this age group, accelerating the deployment of mental health support teams in colleges, enhancing work experience opportunities, and providing free bus travel for children.

The issue gains urgency as data from the Office for National Statistics shows roughly one in eight people aged 16 to 24 are currently Neet. An interim report by former minister Alan Milburn warned in May that this could rise to one in six within five years, signaling a potential “lost generation.” The final phase of Milburn’s report is expected to offer further strategies to address the crisis.

Cath Sezen, director of education policy at the Association of Colleges, supported many of the report’s proposals but cautioned that funding constraints were hindering colleges’ ability to deliver tailored support. She called for increased investment and a stronger national strategy for employer engagement.

In response, a DfE spokesperson stated that further education students must be prioritized in upcoming reforms to tackle the Neet crisis. The government also announced plans to introduce a new “stepping-stone qualification” aimed at reducing the cycle of students failing and resitting GCSE English and maths, alongside commitments to track college attendance and speed up mental health team rollouts.