Impact of Non-School Register on Child Safety

The proposal of a register for children not attending school, as part of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, aims to enhance child safety by tracking those who may be at risk of neglect or abuse. This measure follows the tragic case of Sarah Sharif, who was taken out of school prior to her murder, highlighting the existing loopholes that allow vulnerable children to fall off the radar. The bill seeks to establish a systematic approach to monitor these children, resembling how individuals are tracked with national insurance numbers across various services. It's intended to address concerns over increasing numbers of children missing from education, which rose sharply during the pandemic, with estimates suggesting up to 300,000 children could be unaccounted for in 2023 alone.