Holidays during term-time are frowned upon in a number of schools across the UK, due to the disruption it causes to the classroom.
In recent years, parents have been fined if deciding to take their children out of class during the school period.
A BBC investigation has found that in the past three years, British parents have been fined a whopping £24 million for failing to keep their kids in school.
The investigation only included England and Wales, as Scotland and Northern Ireland do not issue fines to families.
The investigation found that 12 penalties per 1,000 children on average were given between 2016-2017.
Some regions exceeded this amount almost five times, with the Isle of Wight issuing 64 penalties per 1,000 children.
A high-profile case saw parent Jon Platt, who took his daughter to Disney World in 2015, lose his court case in 2017 and was forced to pay £2,000.
Over three-quarters of parents admit they have been fined for taking their children on holiday, according to flight booker Kiwi.com.
Whilst not a role in Mr Platts’s case, many parents choose to take their children out during term-time because it is cheaper than travelling peak season, even with the fine.
Travel currency expert FairFX found that families could be paying twice as much for a package holiday if heading abroad during the summer holidays.
By comparing 79 packages holidays for a family of four for a week, it found that some destinations cost 115 per cent more than if going two weeks before the schools were closed.
Flight prices also rocketed up; a flight from Edinburgh to New York cost a staggering £2,310, compared to just £351 if travelling a week before the half term.
Ian Strafford-Taylor, CEO of FairFX commented: “FairFX has been campaigning hard for change in this sector for a long time now, and our research has shown that the price gap between term time and holidays has been allowed, unchallenged, to get even wider.
“This, coupled with the lack of clarity around allowable absence, and what constitutes good attendance, has made booking the family break an expensive minefield.
“There’s a clear supply and demand mechanic behind the pricing strategies surrounding school holidays, but the difference in prices is outrageous.
“A week away from home allows families to spend valuable and precious time together, but when parents face paying double the original price, this experience is put under threat.”
