PARENTS of children who skip school could face hefty fines under strict new rules being introduced by Southampton education chiefs.

Even mums and dads who allow days off for extra holidays will be targeted in the new non-attendance code.

Parents who fail to pay the penalty could find themselves in court.

The move comes after a similiar scheme was introduced by Hampshire County Council in January.

Already 33 penalty notices have been issued to parents of absent children by county education bosses.

Of these, eight have paid the £50 fine, 21 have yet to pay and four are being prosecuted by the county council.

Last year county education bosses prosecuted 220 parents for failure to ensure regular attendance at school. Once figures are in for this year bosses will be able to see how effective the scheme is.

However, teaching union leaders have condemned the initiative saying it fails to address the core of truancy problems.

The scheme is set to be introduced at six Southampton schools as part of a year-long trial and may be extended across the city from September 2006.

Unauthorised absences reported to education welfare chiefs by teachers will prompt a warning letter to parents.

If attendance does not improve within 15 days, a time period modelled on similar schemes in the county, each parent will be hit with a £50 fine. That increases to £100 if it is not paid within 28 days.

If the parents still fail to pay within 42 days, court action will follow.

City bosses have modelled the scheme on similar schemes which have been in operation in Hampshire schools since January this year.

Six schools have been chosen to feature in the crackdown:

Cantell Secondary n

Bellemoor Secondary

Weston Park Junior

Weston Park Infant

Bevois Town Primary

Vermont Special School.

Each school has its own policy on taking children out of lessons for holidays, and parents who wish to take their children away during term-time must stick to the rules.

Penalty notices will only be issued to children taking holidays if they have a poor attendance record anyway.

The scheme was introduced by the government in 2004 and has been taken up by a number of education authorities in England and Wales.

However, Ron Clooney from the National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers, said: "This might stop affluent parents from taking their children out of school for holidays, but it will not address long-term truancy.

"Often, children who skip school have behavioural difficulties or psychological problems, the mother might not be able to control them.

"Adding a fine into this will only exacerbate the problem. It might look good at a glance, but it won't address the problem."

The issue is due to be discussed by Southampton City Council bosses at a meeting on August 1. A report outlining the scheme states that rates of children skipping lessons in city schools have risen during 2003 to 2004.

Education officers say: "Penalty notices offer an alternative approach to tackling parentally-condoned absence that is both swift and less labour intensive."