Truancy rates in England have risen to a record high.  The government's latest report of the last school year has revealed that more children are playing truant than ever recorded, despite the government's £885 million attempt to stamp it down.  
   Absences have risen to a staggerring 0.79% (0.01% more than the previous year), the greatest increase being in primary schools, from 0.43% to 0.46% rather than the decrease in secondary schools from, 1.23% to 1.22%.  This means that a shocking total of 55,000 pupils were bunking their lessons each day (1.4 million in total) raisng questions as to what can be done to decrease this and what the £1 billion has been used to do.
   Though by law children are allowed 10 days off authorised many believe that pupils are becoming used to skipping classes due to the parents taking them on holidays or out shopping during school days; Chris Keates of NASUWT says, "more has to be done to discourage those parents whom take their children out of school for hlidays, shopping or telling them to stay in and wait for the gas man". 
   Several feel that new and more measures need to take place to decrease and eventually eliminate truancy in the country.  
   Does the responsibilty lie with the parents or the child?