Truancy is a problem that harms many children besides the truants. The education of all children in classes where truancy is commonplace suffer. I think, however, that this is a problem over-emphasised by work-shy teachers and militant teaching unions. Teach persistent truants elsewhere.

Des, Edinburgh,

I've just found out that children (in my daughters' school) are classed as an 'unauthorised absense' if she is sent home by the schools medical room.
I wonder how many other childrens parents are unaware that their child is totting up unauthorised absenses through being sent home sick.

Debbie, Ashford, kent

Great pity Doncaster council is not in favour of Ed Balls committment to dyslexic pupils. This Council is more interested in new stadiums for football and horse racing; which have become white elephants as has the airport. It just recently dismantled a borough wide team of specialist teachers.

john eadie macgregor, Doncaster, South yorks

George of Boltons meltdown due to poor teaching is a cart before the horse response. Go anywhere where there are numbers of parents with their children and more than a few will provide you with a masterclass in inept, irresponsible and atrocious parenting practice.

mike gee, bournemouth, uk

Why are so-called Teachers’ leaders so coy in blaming “deep-rooted social problems”? They mean the melt-down of the family which teachers have encouraged by their refusal to teach about marriage and their insistence on supporting the government's failed sex-education and relationships policy.

George, Bolton, England

“A community-wide approach involving parents, police and local welfare officers would be much more effective than the current top-down measures pursued by ministers.”
Or a well balanced, useful curriculum which would engage pupils and give them the skills they want not one-size-fits-all labour idea.

Tom, Lancs,

Parents have a duty to secure education for their children, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise. The parents' duty to ensure that children attend school regularly only applies when children are registered pupils at school. http://www.education-otherwise.org/

Fiona Nicholson, Sheffield , England

There is a massive increase in extremely poor parenting and it is across the social scale. Also why expect kids to consider school attendance seriously when parents casually and regularly remove their kids from school so they can take a holiday which, they, the parents want to take.

mike gee, bournemouth, uk

Tough decisions need tough actions. Expel the children after three warnings if they are at fault. Double the fine every time if the parents are at fault.

The fact that children and delinquent parents are getting away with the now serious problem does not bode well for the future.

B J Deller, Marbella, Spain

What is happening to the country?
How has this happened? It is not just at education, it is all around.
What were the motives of the people who have allowed this to happen?
I can assure you the rest of Europe is a vibrant place without any of the real social/economic problems the UK is subject to

Mark, Yorkshire,

Why is government blamed here? The key issue is that it is the parents who must be responsible for their children and ensuring that they attend school. It is not the Police's job to round up stray kids. they should be focusing on crime.

Hamad Lone, London, England