A PARENTS' campaign to fight changes in school term times has been stepped up.

Agroup at St Margaret's School in Lewes Road, Ditchling, near Lewes, is targeting every parent-teacher group in East Sussex over the issue.

Campaigners claim county education chiefs have put out "one-sided propaganda" over plans to replace the existing three-term school year with one of five terms.

Former teacher and mother-of-two Jean Hand is spearheading the attack with backing from the the school's parent-teacher association.

The parents say the five-term year proposed by East Sussex County Council would ruin family life because of clashes with traditional term times in other areas.

Supporters of the idea claim the shorter breaks between terms would help improve achievement among youngsters.

But some critics have called the changes "half-baked" and warned parents they should study the implications carefully.

Ms Hand said: "We are sending out the minutes of a public meeting that was held, presenting them in as balanced a way as we can and asking the parents what they feel."

The documents are being posted to the chairmen and chairwomen of about 200 East Sussex parent-teacher groups.

Ms Hand said: "Our biggest enemy is apathy, that people won't think about it.

"We are not being consulted about this, we are being given it. It's been very forcefully put through."

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