Parents are cheating the mid-year holiday costs by taking their kids out of school and going on holiday either side of the half term break, rather than in the school holidays. Not only do the children love it but travelling out of season reduces your travel costs significantly.
Off course there will be a few people that frown upon this logic and most parents will deny doing this, but surveys conducted by easyCar.com have shown that more than half the parents take their children out of school to go on a mini-vacation.
According to the department of education, children are only allowed to be held out of school during the term when there are “exceptional circumstances”, hence the reason a quarter of those parents lie about why their children are out of school.
Most of the time parents inform the school that their child is ill and will not be able to attend to avoid raising any eyebrows. This sneaky and clever way of recharging you and your families’ batteries is becoming more popular, as the years go by.
Parents that allow their children to skip school for no “exceptional” reason can face a hefty fine of £60, which can be doubled if parents decide to throw a tantrum about it and refuse to pay within 3 weeks. Those parents who decide to be stubborn and ignore these fines can face being locked up for a 3 month and can even be faced with prosecution and sit with a hefty fine of £2500.
Half of the parents are prepared to pay the fine if they are caught out, as they save more than £60 when taking their holiday midterm. Children love the time away from school and being able to relax before exams start, while parents enjoy being able to move around their destinations without being squashed from every angle.
Parents that were surveyed said that the main reason they sneakily take their children out of school and go on holiday during term time is that they are not able to afford a holiday during peak times. However, they do try to keep it undercover and cross their fingers that they do not get crushed with fines.
