“Nearly 12,000 parents were prosecuted and 25 given prison sentences because of their children’s truancy from school last year, figures show. The longest jail sentence imposed on a parent was 90 days, according to the Ministry of Justice . A total of 11,757 parents were prosecuted for failing to ensure their child’s attendance at school, up from 11,188 the year before.”
The Guardian, 8th November 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk