APROPOS the query by D Crown, of Ramsey (Letters, October 10) teacher training days were instituted by Kenneth Baker, the then Conservative Minister for Education, when he appropriated five days of teachers annual holiday for this purpose. Indeed, they w

APROPOS the query by D Crown, of Ramsey (Letters, October 10) teacher training days were instituted by Kenneth Baker, the then Conservative Minister for Education, when he appropriated five days of teachers' annual holiday for this purpose. Indeed, they were known for some years as "Baker Days".

The number of days that students attended school remained, and still does remain, exactly the same as before. Confusion arises because, for practical reasons, such as booking outside trainers, it is not always feasible for schools to bolt these days on to the holidays tidily - although most schools do attempt to do this with most of the five.

J HARDIE, Sandwich Close, St Ives