IT APPEARS likely that Blaenau Gwent Council will press ahead with plans to fine parents of children who are regular school truants.

From next month parents of truants could be faced with £60 fixed penalty notices.

This is just the latest in a series of ideas by councils, and not just Blaenau Gwent, to try to tackle school absenteeism.

Parents of children who do not attend school regularly often claim they have no idea that their child is truanting, or that they just cannot make their child attend school.

Some of those arguments may of course be valid.

But there are those who do play truant with the full knowledge of their parents.

And councils do need to do what they can to tackle this group.

The new system of fines being considered would be seen as a last resort, but could be a useful weapon on the constant battle to improve attendance levels.

It is important that children attend school regularly.

The failure to do so leads to consequences not only for the individual child but for the school.

The responsibility for ensuring children attend school has to lie with the parents.

We agree the fine system could help get that message home, although we do feel it should only be used after all other avenues of working with the parents and child have been explored.