TEACHERSÕ unions are breathing a Òsigh of reliefÓ this week that common sense has prevailed in Hampshire County CouncilÕs decision to delay adoption of a six-term school year.

Their persistence, they believe, has managed to buy time in the hope that any move towards a six-term year will coincide with adoption of an across-the-board national policy rather than Hampshire taking unilateral action and going it alone.

The decision to take a step back was taken by Cabinet on Tuesday following a recommendation by executive member for education Don Allen to stick with the traditional three-term system until 2005/06. This, it was suggested, would allow neighbouring local education authorities time to decide on how they would like to progress.

ÒIn effect we have bought ourselves a year during which time the government will hopefully have decided that any change will have to be implemented on a national basis,Ó said NASUWT senior vice-president Pat Lerew.

The NASUWT has been campaigning, with other teachersÕ unions, against unilateral implementation of a six-term year which they believe would create mayhem. If HCC had voted to introduce a six-term year from September, the unions were preparing to engage in industrial action.

At Amery Hill School, Alton, where Mrs Lerew is a teacher, some staff live over the border in Surrey and would, she points out, have found it extremely difficult to work to a different term pattern to the schools attended by their own children .

ÒThank goodness common sense has prevailed,Ó said Mrs Lerew who is concerned too that any decision to fix the spring holiday period could prove farcical.

She gives as an example the year 2005 when Easter will be very early. If the county decides to adopt a holiday period covering the first two weeks of April this would result in a Bank Holiday followed four days later by a two week break.

ÒIt would be ridiculous. You would find a lot of people would take their children out of school for the duration which would result in a loss of education time,Ó said Mrs Lerew.

The unions, she said, were advocating a more flexible break which would begin on Maundy Thursday and extend over Easter to include the two- week Spring break.

Having led the way in December last year by agreeing in principle to adopt a six-term school year from 2004/2005, TuesdayÕs decision was something of a disappointment for the county but one which has been viewed as Òa step closerÓ.

In a statement after the meeting it was explained that, following consultation with neighbouring LEAs and schools, the decision had been taken by Cabinet to adopt a pattern of school and holiday dates for the academic year 2004/5 which would set the basis for full implementation of a six-term year in 2005/6. From then, reference would no longer be made to three terms with half-terms, but to six terms.

Despite the delay, Mr Allen remains firmly convinced that a six-term year is the way forward for education.

ÒI am convinced that the benefits will be significant in educational terms. It is disappointing that the final steps will not be implemented for another academic year, but we want to get the change right,Ó he said.