THE latest figures on truancy make disturbing reading. Statistics released by the county council show the number of parents who have been fined for failing to get their children to school has more than doubled in four years.

Many parents seem to be unaware of the damage they are doing to their children’s education by failing to ensure they attend class. They also appear to be blissfully ignorant of the fact they stand to be landed with a £50-£100 fine.

While the council says legal action is only used as a last resort, there were still 140 fines issued in the past year, up to May.

It may seem harmless to miss the odd class, but the repurcusions can be serious – hitting academic achievement, leaving pupils lagging behind their classmates, and consequently suffering in tests and exams.

Among the reasons frequently offered as an excuse is the need to take children out of school for family holidays. And it is impossible not to have sympathy with parents frustrated at the leap in prices for hotels and flights during the school breaks.

However, the savings made by taking early holidays must be balanced against the potential harm done to pupils’ academic careers – the effects of which could last into adult life.