IT is a shake-up that could see the end of the long summer break and overinflated holiday prices but also one that has the potential to cause chaos for parents across Hampshire.

Under new reforms schools will be able to set their own holiday dates rather than stick to the local authority’s calendar.

The move paves the way for individual schools to introduce longer terms and cut the length of school holidays.

It is contained in the new Deregulation Bill which comes just weeks after Education Secretary Michael Gove suggested thatthe current school year is out of date and that children should have shorter holidays.

But education chiefs in Hampshire say whilst changes couldhave advantages, any alteration would still need to be co-ordinated in order to ensure parents with children at several schools were not having to cope with different holiday times.

New laws Under the current system, state school pupils usually get two weeks off at Christmas and Easter as well as six weeks in the summer, and three week-long half term breaks.

Although that could change under the new laws, head teacher of Redbridge Community School in Southampton Jason Ashley said he did notforesee major changes.

He said: “I think any sort of deregulation is a good thing as I agree that individual schools do know what is bestfor their pupils.

“Having said that I can’t really see any dramatic changes to when the holidays are set. It is very likely that parents will have children at different schools and so any changes to one of those holiday times could cause more inconvenience to parents.”

City education chief Cllr Sarah Bogle, pictured right, said: “I think logistically it would be quite challenging, particularly in Southampton where there are four local authorities within a 20-mile radius.

“Freedom for schools sounds like a good thing but I think it might cause a lot of chaos.

“We will work with schools and take advice from them about what would work but I think it’s another interventionthatmight not see the light of day.”

Mr Ashley added thatit would be important for schools work in collaboration to ensure that local timetables matched up.

He said that he would favour a shorter first term by reducing the summer holidays by a week and adding itto theOctoberhalf term.

Mary Vokes, a mum of four from Chandler’s Ford, said she would also back a move to shorten the summer holidays.

“Ithink six weeks is too long in the summer as it takes a while for them to get back into work mode.

“I also think it would help parents with covering child care and affording holidays as companies would not have the monopoly on increasing prices.”

If approved the changes by the Department for Education would come into effect in September 2015.

Academies already have the freedom to settheir own term dates.

Brian Lightman, from the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Somebody needs to take the lead locally on deciding term dates and itmakes sense for this to be the local authority, even if schools aren’t required by law to follow it.”

Ina speechin April,MrGove called for longer school days and term times, warning that the current system is out of date and fitfor the agricultural economy of the 19th century.

Hampshire County Council was unable to provide a comment.