40% of Parents Admit to Taking Children Out of School for Holidays – And Some Are Already Planning to do it Again!

It's a common frustration – holiday prices rocket the weeks of the school holidays and the resorts are jam-packed. That's why some parents make the decision to take the children out of school during term time to get in that all-important family holiday.

In a recent survey of 2,000 parents in the UK, 40% admitted to having taken their children out of school during term time for a holiday, despite the threat of being fined for doing so.

Interestingly, just 15% of parents who admitted to taking their children out of school have actually been fined, the research suggests.

Schools fining parents for term time holidays is an unpopular policy, with just 1 in 4 of the parents surveyed in agreement with this. In addition, a recent court case casts doubt over the legality of fining parents.*

The survey, commissioned by Holidaygems.co.uk, also found that 13% of parents are already planning to take their children out of school for a holiday in 2016 with a further 18% still considering whether or not they'll do so.

The reasons for deciding to take the kids out of school are overwhelmingly weighted towards the cost of holidays at peak times, with over two-thirds of parents who've done so citing the cost as the reason.

Chris Blackwell, Sales Director at Holiday Gems, comments: “It can be expensive having a family holiday at peak times and indeed cost prohibitive. That can be problematic for families who really do need that valuable time out together and bonding. Parents could easily pay almost double in the summer holidays compared to, say, June when it's quieter. And that's simply down to supply, demand and, of course, bottom line profits".

“Of course there are ways you can cut costs even at peak times. All-inclusive Holidays, for example, can often represent great value against the cost of food and drink on self-catering deals, particularly for families and in destinations where the currency rates are less favourable."

“By planning ahead and getting your currency in advance, rather than the airport, you'll usually get a better rate and that can make your spending money go further. And of course, shop around! By doing so you could potentially shave hundreds off the cost of a holiday compared to the major tour operators."

The survey also found that 73% of parents believe that family holiday is good for their children's development. While over half say family holidays have educational elements to them, almost two-thirds of parents believe the family holiday together to be as important as their child's education.

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Data from a survey of 2,000 parents with children aged between 4 and 16. Survey conducted in December 2015.

* The court case refers to that of Jon Platt as reported at http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/oct/16/father-overturns-120-fine-taking-daughter-term-time-holiday

For further information or to access raw data, please contact stacey.macnaught@tecmark.co.uk

Holidaygems.co.uk is a supplier of online Holidays to UK consumers.