The National Union of Teachers (NUT) said that a survey conducted by local education authorities for the Local Government Association (LGA) was 'unscientific and unrepresentative' and gave no indication of how many people in each local education authority had been polled. The LGA said that 52 per cent of the local education authorities had responded to the survey carried out on behalf of the Commission on the Organisation of the School Year, which was set up by the LGA, but indicated that some had undertaken a limited test of local opinion.
However, an NUT spokeswoman said, 'The LGA don't say how many people were surveyed in each LEA. We know of people who were sent a questionnaire they didn't understand and other people who did not receive one at all. Besides, you get the answer to the question you ask - and what exactly was the question?'
The LGA said each LEA had consulted local people 'according to local traditions and practices, some consulting widely among an extensive network of stakeholder groups, some restricting their consultations to head teachers and governors as a first stage'.
The NUT spokeswoman said the proposed changes to the school year would cause 'massive disruption' to the education system, and would demoralise teachers and potential recruits to the profession 'when no sound educational reasons have been put forward to support it'.
The LGA findings suggested that 90 per cent of those surveyed supported evening out the spring and summer term lengths by fixing the timing of the spring break. The Commission on the Organisation of the School Year is proposing six terms of 'broadly consistent length', but its chairman Chris Price acknowledged that 'achieving a standardised school year must be a gradual and measured process'.
He said, 'We are pleased that our recommendations have met with such support from those in local communities who will be affected by the proposed changes, particularly as a move to a standard school year could help resolve some of the problems highlighted recently with regards to A-level grading and entry to further education.'
A Department for Education and Skills spokeswoman said, 'The current legal position is that LEAs and governing bodies, depending on the category of school, have discretion to change the pattern of their terms and holiday dates, without changes in legislation.' But she added that ministers would need to be convinced there was support for change before legislating to impose a uniform pattern, and that it would help to raise standards and not place additional burdens on teachers, schools and LEAs.