I READ with no small amount of annoyance the article "Heads to tackle holiday absences".

When the issue of standardised school holidays was broached, those with a modicum of commonsense (mostly school heads, teachers and parents) said then, it would cause an increase in absenteeism in schools. Did the LEA's or Government listen, as much as they are now, to public opinion?

Ian Price is monitoring the situation. It is too late now sending out leaflets to say that a "child's education could suffer if they are taken on holiday when they should be in lessons". We know, Mr Price, and we knew then as well. Wasn't it obvious that this would happen?

Unlike the South of the country, where standardised school holidays were thought of, the old industrialised North had "wakes weeks" and they were adhered to, for very good reasons which are still pertinent today -- as we are finding to our cost.

Most people, unlike LEA managers and advisors, do not earn £35,000-plus a year. Most can only just afford a holiday, and most go into debt for months to pay for one. Ian Price, as Chief Education Social Worker, should have been talking very closely with the educational psychology department. They would have told him, as most parents already know, that holidays are vitally important to the wellbeing of family groups. Being together in a different environment, away from domestic pressures and work, are critical to one's mental and physical health.

The only winners are the travel companies and agents. I am therefore not surprised to hear local travel agents saying "holiday deals are usually cheaper during term times". If travel agents want to help, they could standardise the cost of holidays throughout the year.

An argument can be put forward that it also helps the examination process and results returns outside of school term time. But I would suggest sorting the mess they are in now far outweighs the problem of results at inappropriate times for school administrators.

Yet all this is the fault of uncaring parents, so we are led to believe. No, it isn't. The root cause of this problem was, and still is, the idiotic, short-sightedness of change for change sake merchants and the "yes men" subservient towards a Southern-facing Government. Wakes week school holidays should never have been tampered with. Fix it? It wasn't broken in the first place. Yet I hear there was rumour of school governing bodies being given the powers to revert to holiday times that best suit the school. I hope it's true.

Ainslie Casson MA

Church Walks

Westhoughton