Parents who fail to ensure there children attend school are to be fined.
Powys County Council has adopted a penalty charge of £60 if pupils have been off school without the authorisation of the headteacher for at least five days - 10 school sessions - and their attendance is below 90 per cent.
If parents fail to pay the fine within 28 days it will double to £120.
Powys County Council has adopted a new code of conduct for penalty notices for regular non-attendance at school, following legislation by the Welsh Government. The council’s Cabinet adopted the code of conduct on Tuesday 27 January.
Schools will be sending a letter to parents in the new half term to raise awareness.
This would also apply to parents of pupils who choose to take their children out of school for term-time holidays if the absence is unauthorised.
A council statement said: “Headteachers have been strongly advised not to authorise holidays in term time still have ultimate discretion to authorise holidays but only in extreme circumstances.
“If the holiday is not authorised then parents may still receive a penalty charge notice if the holiday means their child misses 10 school sessions and their child's attendance falls below 90% in the school year to date.”
It added: |Penalty charge notices can be requested by a school for cases of regular unauthorised non-attendance at school. If approved, parents will receive a letter asking them for evidence to justify the unauthorised absences.
“If they cannot provide evidence or the evidence is not satisfactory then a penalty charge notice may be issued.”
If the penalty charge notice is not paid within the due time, the council can still consider bringing a prosecution against the parent for failing to ensure their child regularly attends school.
Cllr Arwel Jones, Cabinet Member for Education, said: “It is important that families understand the new penalty charge notices introduced by the Welsh Government so that they can avoid the risk of receiving a penalty charge notice.
“If your child doesn't attend school, they can't learn. They only get one chance at school and their opportunity of a successful future depends on their education.”