A new report has raised concerns about a significant number of young people who are enrolled in college but not attending classes regularly. According to Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England, around 42,000 16 and 17-year-olds are enrolled in colleges but attend less than half of their classes. This means they are not actively engaged in their education and are essentially disconnected from the learning process. These students are not included in official statistics, which may understate the actual number of young people who are neither in education, employment, nor training (often referred to as "NEETs"). For the first time in over a decade, the number of 16 to 24-year-olds who are NEETs has passed one million. Recent data from August showed a slight decrease, with about 981,000 NEETs between April and June—30,000 fewer than in the previous quarter. However, this number is still 30,000 higher than it was a year ago, according to the Office for National Statistics. The data highlights a persistent challenge in ensuring that young people remain in education or training. Further education colleges in England are not required to report student attendance in the same way as schools, which has led to a lack of comprehensive data on student engagement. Information gathered by Dame Rachel’s office shows that, among 262 of England’s 290 college groups, around 28,528 students aged 16 and 17 missed more than half of their classes during the spring. When this data is extended to all colleges, the estimated number of severely absent students rises to about 41,995. Over half of all college students had attendance below 90 percent. Colleges have identified several barriers that prevent young people from attending regularly, including mental health issues, poverty, transport difficulties, caring responsibilities, paid work, the transition from school to college, and past negative experiences with education. In response, Dame Rachel has called for attendance data to be collected from all state-funded education providers, including further education colleges. She also recommended more support for students facing these challenges, better assistance for those entering the workforce, and extending free bus travel to all children. Cath Sezen, director of education policy at the Association of Colleges, acknowledged the growing strain on further education institutions, noting that funding pressures are limiting their ability to support students, especially those most in need. She endorsed many of the report’s recommendations and suggested that a national definition for attendance would be helpful, considering the varying schedules of different colleges. Meanwhile, a Department for Education spokesperson acknowledged the importance of the report, stating that the government is introducing attendance monitoring and expanding mental health support in colleges. They emphasized the need to work with the education sector to address student absenteeism effectively.