THE first citizens' jury in the country is being called out on school holidays.

Local people will sit to hear evidence for and against unifying school holidays boroughwide, before delivering a verdict.

At present the council has eight varying holiday patterns, thanks to inheriting the historical Wakes Weeks, which differ from area to area.

Now it is felt the time is right for change.

Councillors and education officials believe the subject needs in-depth consideration of all opinions and decided to take the innovative step of calling together a jury.

It will be selected from 2,000 people who have been invited to put their names forward. They have been selected by means of statistical sampling to achieve a wide cross-section of the community.

The Office of Public Management, an independent centre, will select 12 people with four reserves - including two teenagers.

On May 10 at the Bellingham Conference Centre the jury will begin a four-day investigation into the issues involved, under the chairmanship of former chief schools inspector, Professor Eric Bolton, a Wiganer with experience of procedure.

The jury will consider evidence gathered from consultation with parents, schools, teachers, their unions, the church Dioceses, school governors, local businesses, parent-teacher organisations and pupils.

They will hear representations from expert witnesses and will have the right to call whatever witnesses they feel are appropriate.

At the end of the time they will be asked for their verdict, which then be referred to the Education Committee, and ultimately to the full council.

Council Leader Peter Smith said: "The present situation is far from ideal. It creates difficulties for the many parents who have two children of different ages at different schools with different holidays.

"They are often forced to take one or other child out of school at a bad time.

"The different patterns of holiday do not always fit well with the fixed dates of public exams such as GCSEs and teaching is frequently interrupted by holiday dates as exams approach.

"An increasing number of people feel that a pattern of 14 week terms are too long for children to sustain academic enthusiasm and effort.

"Whatever the case, we shall be very interested to see how the citizens' jury concept works in this very difficult case.

"We have planned very carefully for this and are confident that a solution can be found, which, although it will never please everyone will at least have the merit of having been fully considered and influenced by independent local citizens."

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