"I feel lonely" - York teenager says anxiety means he hasn't been to school for two years
Government figures out this morning are expecting to show a huge number of students are regularly missing class
New figures released by the Government this morning are expected to show a rise in the number of children missing huge chunks of their education.
It's an issue being highlighted by the children's commissioner who says many are struggling with anxiety following on from the pandemic.
" I do feel lonely because I don't interact with people a lot"
13 year old Rafael from York fell ill at school two years ago - and suffered PTSD as a result - he hasn't been back since: "It's also been hard with family who don't understand why I'm not at school and the background and everything and also with some friends who just don't understand and it's also kind of crippled my social life quite a bit."
He tells us the various schools he's been to haven't been understanding or supportive: "Sometimes when I couldn't get into school, or I would get into school and I couldn't cross into the building, I would be shouted out by my key worker and by the SENCO and another one when I wrote to teachers I was told off for writing inappropriate emails."
"Sometimes I think it feels personal because I know other people who are at the same school, they've got some things from the school like home education and every time I ask it's a no from them. I have the same things such as a doctors letter and it just feels like, what have you got against me personally."
"There are different levels of anxiety, but I would say I am more to where I've had a traumatic experience and that effects me, when I don't feel safe in a place, I don't feel like I'm going to go there."
His Mum Heidi says it's really upsetting when people don't understand: "The problem we had was not getting any work for his education, two years were wasted with no school work, they wouldn't provide and yet the school is responsible for providing an education."
"They always blame the parents and said it's the parents duty to bring them to get them to school, I was even told to force (him), it is impossible to force a 13 year old to school."
The Government response
In a statement The Department of Education say: 'Attending school is vital for children's development and while it's encouraging that attendance is improving, there is more to be done for the year to come to ensure children are in regular education.
We are prioritising driving up attendance rates, including for vulnerable children, building on existing attendance programmes including our attendance hubs and mentors, and updating our guidance to help directly support children, teachers and schools.'