Tony Binder has worked as an education welfare officer for a local education authority for more than 25 years.

He has huge experience of the way children slide into truancy and exclusion.

"In almost every case of truancy and irregular school attendance the children are acting in ways that have been taught to them by their parents," he said.

"These and thousands of children have not had their entitlement to an education and the children know that well enough - and who is to blame.

"The problem is that the children then get the blame when the pressure is put on the parents."

Mr Binder wrote this fictional account of one child's path.

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Hi, my name is Every and this is the diary I kept up at the end of each school year.

End of Year 1

Peter, a friend of me Mam's who lives with us, is writing this for me as I can't read and write yet.

Started school this year and it's been dead good. Lots of things to do and made lots of new friends. There is one lad I don't like called Tom and Mam says I shouldn't stand any bother from him.

Me report was good and says I had 25 authorised absences and 10 unauthorised. Mam says she is proud of me and I told her I love her.

End of Year 2

Alan, a friend of me Mam's who lives with us, is writing this for me as I can't read and write yet.

Had a lot of time off school with colds and things and teacher says I need to be in school more when I start Juniors as I will miss out. Mam says she should mind her own business as she has never had kids and doesn't know what it's like.

Got in a fight with Tom and Mam says she is proud of me for standing up for meself. I love me Mam.

Report: authorised absence 42 unauthorised 21

End of Year 3

Alan is still writing this for me as I can't read and write yet.

Don't like Juniors, it's hard work. Social Services got us caravan last September at Skeg so I missed the first two weeks of school. I thought that was great but when I went back everyone else seemed to know what to do and where to go.

Tom said I was a pratt so I belted him. Got sent home for a day but Mam said I did the right thing.

Missed some days at school because me Mam has been taking our Cheryl to see a psychologist and I had to look after the dog, Ben.

If me Mam has to do any jobs I am now the one who can stay home to look after Ben - it's great growing up and having responsibility. I love me Mam and she is proud of me.

Report: authorised absence 40 unauthorised absence 35.

End of Year 4

Alan is writing this for me as I can't read and write very well yet - he says this is the last time he will do it.

Got a new teacher this year called Mr Bustard - guess what I call him? That's why I got suspended for the first time.

The second time was for belting Tom for saying I didn't know what a bastard was. Me Mam says he deserved it for using that kind of language.

Me Mam was asked to go up to school for a chat but she was too busy sorting our Cheryl out.

Anyway, not a bad year as I managed to miss lots of weeks with colds and things I just made up.

Mam seems to like having me around and Cheryl says she feels safe when I'm at home - funny things girls! I love me Mam and our Cheryl.

Report: authorised absence 10 unauthorised absence 68

End of Year 5

Auntie Rita is writing this for me but she says that next year I can do it myself as I am making good progress at school.

I have been living with Auntie Rita this year as Mam had lots of problems with our Cheryl. Police came and arrested Alan because of something to do with Cheryl.

Had some trouble with Tom but Auntie Rita went up to school and sorted it out. We shook hands and we are good mates now.

I like Mr Bustard - he supports Man United too and got me a programme from a game he went to.

Should be back with Mam soon. I love me Mam.

Report: authorised absences 13 unauthorised absences 0

End of Year 6

Auntie Rita is helping me write this again as I still can't write properly - she says that I seem to have gone backwards with my reading and writing.

Me Mam says it's all the school's fault I can't write as they don't know how to teach any more.

I'm glad I have left Juniors. It's no wonder I didn't go very often if they can't teach!

I thought Mr Bustard was okay but people change - he sent the Welfare woman to see Mam about me attendance.

I had to stay home with our Cheryl a lot as she is very funny about all kinds of things.

Mam says Alan won't be coming back and that's as it should be but then she gets mad sometimes and says it's all our Cheryl's fault.

Auntie Rita says I can go and live with her if I want but Mam says no. I wouldn't mind. Perhaps it's best to stay with me Mam as she says I love her and she is proud of me.

Report: authorised absence 0 unauthorised absence 102.

End of Year 7

Jason has moved in with us and is helping me to write this - he is a friend of me Mam's.

Cheryl moved to hostel last October so I didn't have so many reasons to stay off school.

Still, Mam has lots of jobs and things to do and I tell her it's nice looking after Ben.

I have made an impression at me new school and the head of year, Mr Jones, says I am the biggest bully in school. I can't understand that as there are lots of kids bigger than me.

Mam says it's even more important for me to stand up for meself in big school.

Had some exams this year but managed to duck out of them as the school is so big they don't know where you are.

Mrs Whalley from Welfare came to see Mam about me attendance at school. Mam gave her a flea in the ear and sent her packing.

I don't put anything sloppy in my diary anymore but Mam's cool and I think she's proud of me.

Report: authorised absence 48 unauthorised absence 15

End of Year 8

Mr James who lives next door is helping me write this as I hate Jason after he belted me for having lip to me Mam.

I don't like school. It's a new one. We were homeless in the summer and went to Homeless Families. We got a bed and breakfast and then a new house.

Mam said there was no point in starting school until we were settled.

That Welfare cow came again with a man she said was our new EWO and said Mam could go to court if I didn't get in to a school and go every day.

We had appointments at this new school but Ben kept being sick and Mam couldn't go. Welfare man came after Christmas and took us to the school.

Mam didn't like the school and said she doesn't know what schools are coming to and it's Mr Blair's fault. I didn't know we had a Mr Blair in school - Mam knows more about the school than I thought.

Took ages to get me uniform so didn't start until February. I might leave soon and go and live with our Cheryl. Mam says she's on the game all the time and I like games.

Managed to get excluded for a whole week. Mam wouldn't go up to school to be insulted so they let me back without seeing her. I asked if she was proud of me but she didn't seem to hear.

Lost report on way home from school!

End of Year 9

Mr James is helping me again. Jason has gone and Mam's too busy.

Had a great year and hardly been to school. Got excluded permanently for fighting with a teacher. I was leaning on the wall waiting for me dinner and he told me to stand erect and put me fag out.

Mam wouldn't go to the exclusion hearing as she said it was fixed and the teacher should have been suspended for sexual abuse.

Got a letter to say someone from the PRU would be coming to see us. Mam said she didn't see how insurance would help and laughed.

The man from the Pupil Referral Unit as he called it got me some home tuition and it was quite good. I can read better now but can't write very well.

Got me on roll at another school but it's a long way to go on two buses; don't think I will be going there very often.

Mam says I have got to go or she will end up in court. Don't know why she's getting so nasty. I don't think me Mam likes me very much.

No report this year.

End of Year 10

Mr James says he enjoys doing my diary so he is going to help me until I leave school. I'm glad we have moved next door to him - he leaves money lying around!

Started the new school but it didn't go well. Told Mam kids were picking on me.

Mam told the Welfare man that I was being bullied and I agreed it was true.

Mam said I was dyslexic and had attention deficit disorder like a kid she'd seen on the telly. I didn't know I was clever enough to have those things but perhaps it means they will stop moaning at me about not going to school.

Mam thought I had won a prize for a ride on a boat when we had a letter to say a man from the YOT was coming to see us. Turned out he was from the Youth Offending Team and it was about me pinching from shops in town.

Mam was dead cool as she had fag on that I had pinched from Supercigs!

She said she couldn't understand it and I would get a clout if she found out I had done it again.

Mam was told she'd better not clout me. I like the man from the YOT.

Court case went well and I am on a supervision order. Mam told them I was beyond her control and that they should put me in a home.

Sometimes I don't think I like me Mam.

Report: unauthorised absence 240.

Summons for Mam arrived today and she belted me. Mam had better watch out or I might ring the man from the YOT.

End of Year 11

Mr James is writing this last diary note for me. Got to do it before it gets dark as his electric money has been pinched and he's been cut off.

Don't know what all the fuss was about. Mam got a solicitor who told the court it wasn't her fault I didn't go to school as she sent me every day.

According to the solicitor I am a tearaway that nobody can do anything with and it's not fair to pick on single parents in this way.

Mam got a conditional discharge and the magistrate told the Welfare that it was a waste of public money bringing cases like this to court.

I agree and if I have kids I will make sure the school don't mess with them like they messed with me! Just think what a state I would be in if I had gone more often!!

Pinched some fags for Mam on the way home but got caught. Mam told the police I should be locked up (just because the cow didn't get her fags). I think I hate me Mam.

Haven't been to school so no report this year. I'm glad I've left.

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The views expressed here are personal.