A BBC survey has found that half of Welsh local authorities ask head teachers to refuse all requests for holidays during term-time.

Also finding that under the Welsh Government’s school assessment programme, known as banding, absences negatively affect a school’s score. It is therefore no surprise that this may be the real reason that schools are now refusing absences, as this could affect their overall positions in the league tables.

If the reason given by educational experts was to be believed that every day in school is vital, why is it, then, teacher training is organised in term time and not through the term breaks?

How many times has the start of a term been put back a day because the first day after a break the school is closed for training and therefore reducing the number of teaching days.

Instead of penalising parents and children, schools should have policies and processes that make it easier for a pupil to catch up any missed lessons.

Like many public bodies, they appear to be driven by the all-important stats that prove the world is rosy.

Dave Fothergill St Julian’s Avenue Newport