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Thousands of teens hidden as NEETs, warns commissioner

9/10/2026

20 2 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza warned that tens of thousands of teens are hidden NEETs.
She reported 42,000 teens miss half of sessions, with 5.9% severely absent and 52.2% persistently absent.
The Department for Education will centrally collect college attendance data because colleges lack a legal reporting duty.
De Souza called for a new stepping-stone qualification and expanded mental-health support teams.

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Story summary

Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza warned that tens of thousands of teens are hidden NEETs.
She reported 42,000 teens miss half of sessions, with 5.9% severely absent and 52.2% persistently absent.
The Department for Education will centrally collect college attendance data because colleges lack a legal reporting duty.
De Souza called for a new stepping-stone qualification and expanded mental-health support teams.