SCHOOLS in Hampshire are set to get tougher with parents who allow their children to repeatedly skip school.

Education bosses at Hampshire County Council have approved a new set of rules which will allow head teachers to issue fines of £60 to parents who flout the new guidelines.

Previously Hampshire has adopted a more lenient approach to parents who allow their children to miss school during term time, leading to a lower level of fines being issued.

However, recent truancy figures show that unauthorised absences across county schools is on the rise, prompting education chiefs to take action.

Previously schools could issue penalty notices where a child was absent from school without authorisation for ten days.

That figure has been reduced to five days under the new guidelines and parents have also been warned they will be hit by a fine if a child is persistently late for five days, during a ten week period.

The new code also says headteachers have the right to fine parents if students miss any public examinations where dates have been published in advance or if they miss formal school assessments, tests or examinations which parents have been notified.

In approving the new code of conduct at today's executive member for education decision day, Cllr Peter Edgar said the new code was in line with government recommendations.

"It is more vital than ever that children do not miss any lesson time at school."

He added that it would still remain at the discretion of the headteacher to examine individual circumstances of the child before issuing a fine.

"They must always act in the best interests of the child," he added.