Daily roundup 20 February: Faith schools, asylum applications, and suicides

The full extent of illegal faith schools operating in England has been revealed. The Independent reports that Ofsted inspectors have identified at least 170 suspected illegal schools since a special task force was set up to tackle the issue last year. It is a large increase on previous estimates of around 100 schools.  


The Home Office has agreed to review asylum applications from child refugees in France after it emerged that several had returned to the site of the former Calais camp in a renewed effort to make the crossing to the UK. The Guardian reports that the Home Office said it had agreed with French authorities to "review any new information from children formerly resident in Calais".


The number of children and teenagers who are taking their own lives has hit its highest rate in 14 years with more than four suicides a week. The Express reports that data from the Office for National Statistics shows in 2015 there were 168 males aged 10 to 19 and 63 females in the same age group who took their own lives. The total figure of 231 is the highest it has been since 2001 when 240 youngsters committed suicide.


Council leaders are warning of deep cuts to services despite nearly every local authority in England planning to raise council tax in 2017. The BBC reports that increases of up to 4.99 per cent are expected across the country, but the Local Government Association has warned that children's services are likely to be among areas facing cuts.


Birmingham is ready and able to offer shelter to 79 unaccompanied child refugees under the famous Lord Dubs scheme but is being prevented by a "scandalous" government U-turn it has been claimed. The Birmingham Post reports that the council's lead member for equalities boss Waseem Zaffar said the local authority currently has 119 unaccompanied refugee children in its care - but can take as many as 198 under the terms of the voluntary national dispersal scheme.


Children as young as five are ringing a helpline to hear bedtime stories because their alcoholic parents are too intoxicated. The Metro reports that some children call the counsellors at the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (Nacoa) so regularly their favourite story books are kept by the phones.