The proposal for the Local Education Authority to issue guidance notes to Bradford schools and communities about extended absence during term time makes sense. There is apparently still some confusion among families about the LEA's policy on this important matter. It needs to be cleared up through clearly-communicated guidelines which stress the necessity for planning extended visits abroad carefully. The message must be got across that those taken outside the normal holiday periods should be kept to a minimum and reserved for exceptional circumstances and emergencies.

The chairman of the Schools Sub-committee, Councillor Eileen McNally, acknowledges the value to children of experiencing life in other countries and maintaining contact with their extended families and their cultural roots. But as she says, that has to be balanced against disruption to a school career which could cause them to fall behind, under-achieve in their examinations and fail to fulfil their potential in later life.

If that happens, it is tragic for the individuals involved who might perhaps spend a lifetime regretting their lost chances. But it is also bad for the future of Bradford, which needs as many of its people as possible to make the most of their education to enable the district to face the challenges ahead.

However, while the LEA can offer guidance and information about the disadvantages of term-time extended holidays, at the end of the day the responsibility lies with the parents for arranging their priorities to ensure that their children are given the best possible educational chances in life.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.