At the ‘Who is Losing Learning?’ event, I had the opportunity to share my story – not just as a statistic, but as someone who has lived through school exclusion. I spoke about my own experience of being excluded and how it completely shifted the course of my education and future. It wasn’t just about missing lessons; it was about feeling rejected, unheard, and disconnected from the life and future I had imagined for myself.

That’s why this Solutions Report matters so much. Behind every number is a young person who has struggled within an education system that too often fails to see them or offer the right support. Reading that over 11 million school days were lost in just one term was heartbreaking, but honestly, it wasn’t surprising. I know firsthand what it feels like to be left behind. The system is quick to exclude, but where is the effort to understand? Where is the compassion?

Being excluded made me feel like I didn’t belong, like I wasn’t wanted. And that feeling doesn’t just disappear once you leave school, it lingers, shaping how you see yourself and what you believe you’re capable of. When you’re told over and over that you’re the problem, you start to believe it. But exclusion isn’t inevitable. Things can and should be different.

Exclusion should only be used as a last resort. Young people don’t disengage from education for no reason, there’s always something deeper going on. Maybe it’s struggles at home, mental health challenges, or simply feeling misunderstood by teachers. Instead of removing students, we should be asking: What’s happening for them? How can we support them? I wish someone had asked me those questions sooner.

We need more than just policies that punish. We need solutions that empower. That means investing in early intervention, providing proper SEND and mental health support, and training teachers in trauma-informed approaches. It means creating spaces where students can go when they’re struggling, instead of sending them away to suffer alone.

Being on the panel at the report launch was powerful, not just because I got to share my story, but because I was speaking for so many others who deserve better. I could see in the faces of people listening that they were really hearing me, maybe even starting to think about school exclusion differently. And that’s what I want: real change that transforms the lives of these students.

The report makes it clear how serious this problem is, but what matters most is what happens next. I don’t want other young people to go through what I did. I want a system that sees every child, no matter their background, no matter their challenges. Every young person deserves to be heard, to be supported, and to believe in their future.

Aaliyah,
Mission 44, Youth Advisory Board member