ENGLAND — Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is writing to 26 English councils to demand improvements in tracking 16- to 17-year-olds not in education, employment, or training (Neet). These councils lack information on the activities of 3% or more of teenagers in this age group.

Nationally, only four councils in England have complete data on the whereabouts of 16- to 17-year-olds who are Neet. Approximately 32,100 young people in this age bracket are currently untracked by councils. Improvement plans from the 26 targeted councils are expected to be agreed upon within the next six months.

The government is publishing new guidance for schools and colleges to help teachers identify and support pupils likely to drop out. Official statistics published in March show an estimated 57,000 16- and 17-year-olds are Neet. Research from the Resolution Foundation thinktank showed that in Dudley, West Midlands, more than one in five 16- to 17-year-olds had fallen off the local authority's records, while fewer than one in 50 had fallen off records in London boroughs including Barnet and Ealing. North Lincolnshire council was missing information for nearly half of its 16- and 17-year-olds.

"Accurate, timely tracking is not a box-ticking exercise, it's the difference between a young person getting support early or falling through the cracks entirely. While local authorities do incredibly difficult work, often against real constraints, it's not consistent enough," Phillipson said.

A report by former health secretary Alan Milburn published in May warned that the number of Neets had risen to more than 1 million. The Education Secretary's directive targets specific councils to address discrepancies in tracking young people not in education, employment, or training. The initiative aims to ensure early intervention for a cohort of young individuals whose whereabouts are currently unknown to local authorities, with 32,100 such cases nationwide.

Why It Matters

Improved data collection and support mechanisms are intended to prevent young people from disengaging from educational and career paths. The identified disparities in data completeness among councils, ranging from near complete information to large gaps such as in North Lincolnshire and Dudley, reflect varying levels of local oversight regarding youth activities.