A large proportion of parents in the UK are prepared to put the opportunity of saving money on holidays ahead of their children’s education, according to the findings of a recent survey.
The survey, which was carried out by Direct Line Travel Insurance, indicated that more than half of modern-day parents (55 percent) would be prepared for their children to miss part of a school term for a holiday if it meant that there was money to be saved on the vacation. Almost as many parents, 43 percent, told the survey that they were ignorant of the policy adopted by their children’s school relating to fines meted out to parents who take their children out of school during term time. In fact, a government directive encourages schools to fine parents £50 for unauthorised absences, but the measure is either not being imposed or parents are content to write the sum off against the bigger saving to be made on taking a holiday outside of term time.
Even major qualifications like GCSE’s and A levels are considered by many to be secondary to saving a few holiday pounds, with 48 percent of parents of children in the 14 to 18-year study band being just as prepared for their children to miss classes.
And the savings on offer do not even need to be that great. £500 is enough for more than 60 percent of those parents who were pro taking their children out of school, with 16 percent of the same group happy to do so for as little as £50.
However, savings can be far greater, with holidays for a family of four during school time often costing as much as £2,000 less than the equivalent break during the school holidays.
