Children in pupil referral units (PRUs) should be afforded the same levels of care as looked-after children, a member of the education select committee has said.

Speaking at an event organised by the Citizenship Foundation, IanMearns, Labour MP for Gateshead, argued councils should view alternativeeducation provision with the same level of importance as their corporateparenting duties.

"We cast these young people off," he said. "There's no aftercare forthem. But support should be provided by local authorities, otherwisedown the line the cost of those young people to society will be verygreat."

Mearns added that citizenship education should be recognised as a vitalelement in PRUs. "Young people who come into PRUs are completelyalienated from education, so the citizenship agenda should be at thecore of their curriculum," he said.