Off The Radar
In classrooms across Wales, children are disappearing. They're not playing truant, and they haven't been officially excluded. So what's going on?
This week, a report by the Children's Commissioner for Wales says parents across the country are being asked to take their children home voluntarily.
The commissioner is concerned because she says pupils unofficially sent home in this way are missing out on their education and the support the school system brings, as well as being exposed to other risks.
The report focuses on one case study - the tragic story of Luke Tanhai, a former pupil from Cardiff High school who died in an accident after a series of unofficial exclusions.
The commissioner says Luke's story highlights the serious problems of unofficial exclusion, and she wants to raise awareness amongst parents, and bring about a change in the legal guidelines. But how do you tackle a problem that is not supposed to exist?
Week in Week Out begins a new series by investigating why some schools are choosing to send vulnerable children home unlawfully.
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