THE long summer break begins this week and schools across the borough break up.

We no longer see our early morning streets thronged with uniforms and some of us may be grateful that it is a little quicker to drive to work.

While most children and pretty much all teachers will be glad the holidays have arrived, the end of the school year can be a time of “loss” for many.

Some staff are retiring, children will be moving on to a new class, perhaps in a new school, and some will be leaving education for good and entering the big wide world.

There will have been more than a few tears in the schools across our borough this past week as teachers and pupils say farewell to one another and move on to pastures new.

In our own town we have seen heads, deputies and other school staff retiring after years of faithful service.

As the school year comes full circle once more, and education takes a long deep breath, let’s be grateful for those who teach and those who learn.

The Good Book says “train a child in the way they should go and when they are old they will not turn from it”.

Much of what is good about you today is because of what you learned at school. Think about that when you’re driving to work or taking that early morning walk.

Thank God for our schools!