One third of parents have admitted pulling their children out of school for a holiday.
According to the AA Travel Insurance study of 10,700 parents, a further 21 percent of mums and dads said they had been very tempted to do so.
Some parents said they had taken children out of school early due to work commitments and childcare but the majority said it was down to holiday costs.
77 percent would like to see a cap on the hikes holiday operators introduce when schools out.
It comes as educators warn that attendance is the biggest indicator of educational outcomes.
