THOUSANDS of children were taken out of class in the week before the summer break to save parents paying inflated holiday costs.

A survey of Scots councils showed Inverclyde had the worst record with 29% of pupils absent, East Dunbartonshire was close behind at 28%, East Renfrewshire recorded 24% absent and Glasgow 21%.

Eastwood High School in East Renfrewshire had the highest absence rate in the last week of term with 68% of children not at their desks.

Across Scotland nearly 100,000 pupils missed school to go on an early holiday.

Parents say they are forced to take their youngsters out of class to avoid paying the higher prices charged during the peak season.

Education Secretary John Swinney criticised travel firms for hitting families with soaring prices outwith term time.

He said: “Kids’ schooling must come first but that doesn’t stop me asking why parents are being forced to choose between school and a good holiday break.

“We can and should ask hard questions of the holiday firms.”

In total, almost 14% of Scotland’s 684,415 pupils were marked as absent in the final week of this year’s summer term meaning almost 94,500 children took time off while school was still in session.