More than half of parents take their children away during term time to avoid the high cost of trips during school holidays, according to a survey.
The poll by parenting website www.forparentsbyparents.com found that 55% had taken their children out of school for holidays. Of these, 85% said they had taken between one and four holidays during term time.
The main reason for having to take holidays when children are supposed to be at school was high premiums charged by travel companies for family holidays during school holidays, according to the research amongst 136 visitors to the site.
The prospect of £100 government fines being levied against parents taking children out of school in term time would not stop them because the savings in holiday costs far outweighed the cost of the punishment, the website found.
Parents accused travel companies of being “villains” and urged the government to look at the issue of price hiking during school holidays before starting to penalise parents.
Tour operators have faced similar criticism in the past and blamed supply and demand issues as the reason why peak season holidays cost more. However, most operators run free and reduced price child offers at brochure launch in an attempt to offset the higher prices and to encourage families to book early.
The research was released to coincide with the imminent start of autumn half-term school holidays.
Report by Phil Davies
