Schools: “Ghost Children” Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Schools: “Ghost Children”

Baroness Whitaker Excerpts
Tuesday 2nd May 2023

(1 year ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Barran Portrait Baroness Barran (Con)
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I thank my noble friend for his work in this area and I agree with him that very often persistent absence will not be the only issue that is going on in a family; therefore, the nature of family hubs is ideal to address this. The department has commissioned a team of 10 expert attendance advisers who are working with every local authority and with multi-academy trusts to help address issues of persistent absence. As part of that support, those advisers strongly recommend and encourage engagement with family hubs.

Baroness Whitaker Portrait Baroness Whitaker (Lab)
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My Lords, following the question from and answer to the Liberal Democrat Benches, the Secretary of State very helpfully replied to a letter signed by Peers all around the House saying that she would like to find the time to create a local authority register. When is that time going to be? Quite apart from home-educated children, where, as the Minister says, standards of education vary from good to non-existent, there are a large number of excluded children who make very good targets for recruitment into gangs and other criminal activities.

Baroness Barran Portrait Baroness Barran (Con)
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As I said, we would need primary legislation to bring in statutory registers; until a legislative opportunity is available, we will work very hard to make the voluntary registers work. There are very high rates of return from local authorities—over 90% of them are returning their data on a voluntary basis.