HEADTEACHERS are seeking special allowances from examination boards for teenagers who were trapped on their farms by the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Hundreds of pupils from rural schools across the region missed out on weeks of classroom time when the epidemic was at its worst.

Although work was sent home for pupils, headteachers said many still carried the added emotional trauma of witnessing the impact of the disease on their families.

Mitch O'Reilly, headteacher of Wolsingham School and Community College, in Weardale, County Durham, said between 20 and 30 children, a number in their GCSE year, were trapped on their farms during the peak of the crisis.

She said it had proved a particular problem for people on GNVQ courses, because of the vocational modules and units.

"Some were on farms that had foot-and-mouth, and others were just not wanting to let them out because families didn't want to take the risk, which was understandable," she said.

She said some children communicated with their teachers via e-mail and most had work sent to them, but it was not just about "being absent".

"It's the emotional strain as well, because a family trauma is going on that they are part of," she said.

"Lots of them have seen livestock being put on funeral pyres and once a kid has seen that, you can't lose it. If they're a sensitive soul that can dominate their thoughts for ages, not just for periods of absence."

Allowances can include extensions to deadlines for coursework or for GCSE students being awarded a special circumstances grade.

Keith Mitchell, Durham County Council's education director, said: "We have had a few incidents where pupils have missed preparations for exams because of foot-and-mouth.

"We would expect some kind of action to be taken by examination boards when schools do bring to their attention why people have missed preparation."

Paul Sokoloff, the convenor of the Joint Council for General Qualifications, said: "There are procedures already in place to make allowances for students who have faced significant problems preparing for examinations."

Read more about foot-and-mouth here.