LONG summer holidays could be axed in local schools!

A citizens' jury found the break 'guilty' of harming children's education.

And the jury, set up to examine holiday patterns at local schools, voted to get rid of the traditional six-week break.

Their verdict could spell the end for long summer holidays in Journal-land if education chiefs back their recommendations.

Members of Wigan's education committee will consider the jury's report, calling for them to spread school holidays more evenly throughout the year.

And, if the committee backs the jury's verdict on June 3, local schools could be among the first in the country to bring in a five-term year.

But council chiefs say any proposed changes will not be introduced until there has been a widespread consultation exercise - including talks with teaching unions strongly opposed to the proposal.

As reported in The Journal, the citizens' jury was sworn in to look at holiday patterns throughout Wigan where there are eight different systems in place based on the traditional Wakes weeks.

After listening to arguments from teachers, heads, pupils, parents and experts in the field of education, the jury gave their verdict on Friday.

They were unanimous about the need to standardise the holiday pattern in all schools.

And they voted 15-2 for a five-week term after hearing the disadvantages of long summer holidays including how they can lead to children forgetting what they have learned.

But a council spokesman warned parents not to panic: "Even if the education committee decide that is what they want to do things will not change overnight.

He added: "There would have to be wide-spread consultation and I doubt if it could be implemented before 2001. This is the start of the process not the end."

Danny Coulton, Melanie Dore and Louise Woodier, who represented Leigh, Atherton and Tyldesley, are pictured with the rest of the jury behind chairman Eric Bolton, a former chief inspector of schools.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.