THE Government has lost track of where 30 per cent of state school and college students in Oxfordshire are going when they leave, new data has revealed.

The figures for 2012/13 – the most recent statistics available – show a 16 percentage point rise on the previous year, when only 14 per cent of students were unaccounted for.

Headteachers said they were concerned by the problem, which is bigger in Oxfordshire than any other local authority in England except Poole.

Oxfordshire County Council education committee member John Howson said a lack of funding could explain why the situation is particularly bad in Oxfordshire.

He said: “I suspect that part of the problem is that we are one of the lowest funded education authorities in the county.

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“That means that when it comes to statistics there will not be the same emphasis if we have to pay for someone to ring up schools and ask them for results.

“I suspect it will become increasingly difficult because many academy chains are run from outside Oxfordshire and their data is collected where they are based.”

The Department for Education said 59 per cent of 17- and 18-year-olds who left school or college in 2012/13 went on to further education, training or work – down from 76 per in 2011/12.

Students are counted as being in employment, further education or training if they spend all of the first two terms after they take A-Levels in one of those areas.

Those who have left the country, been in custody or whose whereabouts are not known by the Department for Education are not counted.

Oxford Spires Academy headteacher Sue Croft said it was difficult for schools to meet the demands placed on them by the Department for Education.

She said: “Schools provide data and we are in a good position to know where our leavers have gone.

“But the Government is asking the schools to detail where kids are two years later.

“Somebody may have left and gone to college, and left after five weeks. The school stands no chance of finding out where they will go after that.

“It is a concern if the department does not know where our kids are going.”