Thread by @Terri_White

Quick (LIKELY UNPOPULAR) 🧵on school absence/register announced today. I started out on BBC doc (Terri White: Finding Britain's 'Ghost Children') convinced register must be part of solution. But now am not convinced at all. In my opinion it won't tackle absence/safeguarding probs

Kids in elective home ed are NOT absent and not counted in absence figs (which are kids registered in school & not attending, not kids deregistered & educated at home). Q is: why are those kids absent? Statistically kids w/SEND, in poverty, care experienced, w/mental health probs

And when you de-register your child - for EHE - the school already informs the local authority, so these children are already known about (not 'missing'). Support for these families may well be welcomed, but this isn't part of the absence problem

Of course, there *may* be parents opting for EHE not safeguarding/educating properly (I didn't find this in my investigation, but aware of one case personally). And there IS also Q of schools off-rolling kids (though again, must inform LA), & concerns about unregistered settings

But the prob - impacting 1.5m+ kids - as far as I found, isn't EHE. And conflating those kids/parents with kids registered at schools & chronically absent is misleading/unhelpful. Look at reporting today that seems to think register will magically locate kids not going to school

Safeguarding issues exist b/c of absence. Kids at risk of grooming/county lines. 'High proportion' schoolkids seriously harmed, absent at time of incident. There IS worry re. kids unknown - never registered with school/GP - but register won't locate, they're 'missing' from system

Meat of issue is complex. Means tackling SEND provision, truly working to eradicate child poverty, investing in mental health support, making social care function. In my opinion, register won't make a dent in the crisis because it's shifting the lens away from the real issue

And honestly, I get why EHE families feel aggrieved. Why those desperate for SEND provision - who've been waiting yrs, given up jobs, seen families buckle - feel abandoned. Why those in poverty feel their kids' futures are sacrificed. And our papers call these kids truant...

Is it better than a kick in the crotch? Maybe! But who is it for not currently counted? I've always been interested in real-time absence data (vs lag now). The role of youth/peer workers in community (look at impactful work of @FBeyondBorders). But I don't think register is it

@FBeyondBorders IN MY OPINIONNNNN