§ Mr. CoakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what data he collects on the(a) numbers and (b) circumstances of pupils who are not on school rolls. [142826]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisSection 19 of the Education Act 1996 places a responsibility on local education authorities to provide suitable education outside school for children unable to attend school because of illness, exclusion from school or otherwise. By 2002 provision for pupils excluded from school must be full time.
LEAs reported that in January 2000 there were 15,089 pupils of compulsory school age not on the roll of a school or pupil referral unit. This figure includes those pupils being educated at home by local authorities, in community homes or units and arrangements made for the education of children in travellers' families. We do not collect centrally the number of pupils educated at home by their parents.
The January 2000 Schools' Census reported that 8,479 pupils were being educated at pupil referral units (PRUs).
Statutory guidance from the DfEE advises local education authorities to set up systems for collecting data on the number of children of all ages who are out of school, and their achievements. Such a register will help authorities ensure that vulnerable groups do not become lost in the system between education and employment.