IAN Price, chief education social worker, says that children whose parents take them on holiday during term time could develop "long term educational problems".

I find this very hard to believe.

If being absent from school for just one, or two, weeks a year can cause "long term educational problems", how about children who are off sick for a couple of weeks a year -- is their long term eduction in jeopardy? If so, then there is something drastically wrong with the system.

Many people in many walks of life are unable to take their holidays during school breaks. When our children were young, I was seldom able to because I worked in the electricity generating industry.

But family holidays are an almost essential part of growing up. We can all remember our holidays with our parents. Our sons often reminisce about their holidays with us when they were young.

My wife and I quite often get out the photo albums. Our grandchildren "can't wait" for our next holiday together.

The remarks made by Mr Price and by Margaret Bowden, Deputy Head of Little Lever School Specialist Language College, revealed perhaps the real concern of head teachers. Mr Price said: "The consequences of children going on holiday during term time included aversely affecting the school performance figures ...". And, from Margaret Bowden: "It is a problem, and significantly affects attendance figures".

It would seem, perhaps, that school performance and attendance figures are of more concern than children and parents being deprived of a family holiday.

Brian Derbyshire

Ribchester Grove

Bolton