Research by travelsupermarket.com shows parents are less concerned about possible fines than previously, with 49% of parents in the UK admitting they had taken children away during term-time.
When fines were introduced by the Government in 2004 to deter parents from term-time holidays, just 18% of parents said they would ignore the possibility of the £100 penalty.
New figures from the price comparison website also show 20% of parents believed it very unlikely that the fine would ever be enforced.
Bob Atkinson, travel expert at travelsupermarket.com, said: ‘At the moment, every penny counts, and the potential savings families can make by nipping off on holiday a few days before the end of term is too much of a temptation for many parents.
‘Families appear to be weighing up the pros and cons of receiving a potential fine against the potential savings.’
A third of parents claimed travel is an important part of their children’s education and so could not see the harm in taking their child out of school. Just a fifth believed that a holiday during the school term could not be justified under any circumstances.
Parents in the North East are the likeliest to take their child out of school with 60% claiming that they have done so in the past and 49% that they would do so in the future.
The research was carried out for travelsupermarket.com by Opinium in May 2009, among 4,022 adults in the UK.
Term time v school holiday prices
(according to travelsupermarket.com, package holiday deals based on two adults and two children):
Glasgow
A trip to Majorca departing 20 June costs £1,231.32; one week later a trip costs £1,780
£548.68 more
A trip to Florida departing 18 June costs £2,372; nine days later a trip costs £2,588
£216 more
Gatwick
A trip to Majorca departing 1 July costs £1,168; less than three weeks later a trip costs £1,560
£392 more
A trip to Florida departing 3 July costs £2,440; three weeks later a trip costs £3,092
£652 more
Manchester
A trip to Majorca departing 1 July costs £1,056, three weeks later a trip costs £1,568
£512 more
A trip to Florida departing 29 June costs £2,160; one month later the same holiday costs £3,092
£932 more
See also:
Holidays account for 10% of missed schooldays (12/09/2007)
Londoners bear brunt of peak season pricing (27/04/2006)
Travel truancy back in the spotlight (19/09/2005)
Six-term school year gets education secretary’s backing (05/03/2004)
Agents to help cut holiday truancy (30/12/2003)