The Department of Education (DoE) has been accused of “covering up” evidence that over a thousands pupils, unaccounted for in mainstream education, were actually being educated at illegal Jewish faith establishments in London. Physical violence and sexual abuse of children is alleged to have taken place inside the premises. The pupils had been moved to illegal Jewish schools operating in the London borough of Hackney and the evidence destroyed, according to an investigation by The Independent: The Department for Education has been aware of the problem since 2010 but does not appear to have taken any steps to act against the destruction of these records. An investigation by The Independent also found that more than 1,000 children are missing from schools in London and are at risk of abuse in illegal faith schools. The schools are ultra-Orthodox Jewish faith schools at which boys are placed from the age of 13, and where they receive no education beyond studying religious texts. A number of pupils leave school with little or no ability to speak English, and few – if any – qualifications or skills which equip them to work, or live independently. Former pupils, campaigners and whistleblowers say that the schools have [...]