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I was amused to read that the possible introduction of two-year degrees could "herald the end of the long academic summer holidays" ("Long summer break may be cut short by two-year degree plan", April 21). What long summer holidays? Are these the mythical sojourns when academics apparently disappear to their gites in France for three months from July?

What nonsense. For 99 per cent of academics the summer "vacation" is taken up with research, exam resits, admissions, postgraduate teaching and supervision, updating courses and reading lists for the next academic year, and deal-ing with relentless bureaucracy.

Just for the record, I have had only two weeks' holiday in the past 18 months.

Pete Dorey Cardiff University