Oldham has ranked in the top 10 for the highest value of fines dished out by local authorities for unauthorised pupil absences in the past three years.
Following a freedom of information (FOI) request from firm Legal Expert, the highest value of fines dished out by councils across the country since 2021 has been shared, with Oldham Council placing seventh.
Starting next month, parents who take their children out of school without permission during term-time could be hit with fines of £160.
As it stands, unauthorised absences can see parents issued a fine of £60 which increases to £120 per child if it is not paid within 21 days with a potential for prosecution for non-payment of 28 days.
The data from the FOI shows Oldham came in seventh place, issuing a total of 14,962 fines which resulted in total fees of £611,096.
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Cllr Mohon Ali, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: “The council is committed to improving educational and skills levels across Oldham and that is why school attendance is a priority.
“All our schools work with parents and carers to ensure their children are in classes during term time and do not take unauthorised time off.
“We urge parents to think twice before they decide to do this as it harms their child’s chances in the future.
“All headteachers must follow government guidelines when dealing with unauthorised absences, and this includes deciding whether to issue fines.
”When attendance becomes an issue schools work closely with the council to ensure families are supported as much as possible to keep their children in school.”
Manchester City Council finished top of the list, issuing more than 20,000 fines which totalled more than £1m.
The only other council to issue fines totalling more than £1m was Bolton Council, while Bradford City Council came third.
Wakefield City Council, Leicester City Council and Kirklees Council came in fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.
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