Parents will be required to register home-educated children with their local authority under government proposals intended to prevent young people from disappearing off the radar.

An estimated 60,000 children in England are thought to be educated at home – a figure that is rising by about a quarter each year. The register will for the first time enable authorities to see where children are if they are not in school and intervene more effectively if required.

The proposals, which will be outlined by the education secretary, Damian Hinds, on Tuesday, are intended to address concerns about soaring numbers of children out of school, particularly those who have been “off-rolled” or are attending illegal schools.

Although the move was welcomed by Ofsted, the schools watchdog, it is likely to infuriate many people in the home education community who are providing their children with a sound education and object in principle to state interference in family matters.

The Department for Education (DfE) is hoping to offset some of their concerns by promising home-educating parents additional support, including teaching resources or help from their local authority to pay for exam costs.

Home educator Edward Hardy warned, however, that the community would fight the plans every step of the way. “The register will not protect children from parents who are intent on harming their children. Instead, it will amount to a further step down the path of unwarranted intrusion into family life by the state,” he said.

Under the proposals, which will be subject to a 12-week consultation, it will be parents’ responsibility to register their child if they are not being taught in a state-funded or registered independent school.

The government says the register is not intended to crack down on home educators, but to protect vulnerable children who may remain hidden from the authorities and those in illegal schools where they could come under “dangerous influences”.

As now, if a local authority has concerns that a child is not receiving a suitable education, they can use school attendance orders to compel parents to send their child to a registered school, which can escalate to a prosecution if a family fails to comply.

Announcing the plans, Hinds said: “As a government, we have a duty to protect our young people and do our utmost to make sure they are prepared for life in modern Britain.

“That’s why this register of children not in school is so important – not to crack down on those dedicated parents doing an admirable job of educating their children in their own homes, but to prevent vulnerable young people from vanishing under the radar.”

The Local Government Association, which represents councils, welcomed the register, but called on the government to go further and give local authorities the powers and funding to enter homes or other premises to check a child’s schooling.

The children’s charity NSPCC said a register alone would not automatically safeguard children. “There must also be regular checks just like any other education setting to ensure that children are being properly looked after when they learn,” a spokesperson said.

Head of Ofsted and chief inspector of schools in England, Amanda Spielman, said: “Ofsted has long had concerns about the increasing numbers of school-age children not attending a registered school, many of whom may not be receiving a high-quality education or being kept safe.

“We are especially concerned about children ‘off-rolled’ from schools, and those in illegal schools. The new register will make it easier to detect and tackle these serious problems.”

The children’s commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, said: “It is vitally important that we know that all children are safe and that they are receiving the education they deserve to help them to succeed in life. The introduction of a register for children not in school is very welcome and something I been calling for. I am pleased these proposals also include support for families.”

• This article was amended on 9 April 2019 to make it clear that the estimated figures for home schooled children – and thus the proposals – relate to England and not the UK as a whole.