Why Do We Close Schools When It Snows These Days?

[ToraToraTora]

https://news.sky.com/story/temperatures-to-plummet-bringing-snow-to-parts-of-uk-11149445
I lived through some of the harshest winters in living memory and I cannot remember a single day when my school was closed. Even when the heating broke we did lessons in our coats. What has happened? Why are we such a nation of softies now? Gawd I can remember doing games in the snow, football rugby etc now when a snowflake falls the little darlings are tucked up in front of Xbox!

[ToraToraTora]

yep we had IZAL, it was like wiping yer April with tracing paper!

[Barmaid]

"wiping" in its very loosest sense.......

[murraymints]

Was a church school G ..so if no teachers, priest, housekeeper and a parent or two would have kept it open !

[jourdain2]

We had to close once when the bus company rang to say that they would run no more buses after the next half-hour (too dangerous). Comprehensive school and the pupils came from several miles around, so they needed the buses.
Other closures I remember happened because many of the teachers lived quite a few miles away (this was in the Pennines) and simply couldn't get in. There is a legal limit to how many pupils can safely be cared for by a skeleton staff.

[douglas9401]

Honestly! Did no-one ever tell you people that Izal was designed as multi purpose, it having a smooth and slightly rougher and more absorbent side.

This was so that after initial use it could be wrapped round your comb and a fine tune would result.

As a footnote, it was invented by a chap called Lipschitz.

Apparently.

[gness]

I see, Minty.....but of course...for all we say that didn't happen in my day.....the schools stayed open we couldn't do that now could we?

The parents, housekeeper and especially the priest would have to have a police check before caring for children.... :-)

[ToraToraTora]

"Honestly! Did no-one ever tell you people that Izal was designed as multi purpose, it having a smooth and slightly rougher and more absorbent side." - dam I was using the wrong side!

[Cloverjo]

I remember my mum listening to local radio to find out if school was shut if it had been snowing. It rarely was. I remember many ice slides and snowball fights in the playground.

[Jackdaw33]

We used Izal as tracing paper. Caretaker couldn't understand where it all went to.

[EDDIE51]

As has been suggested. It is because some parents will immediately sue the school for negligence if their precious child slips on an icy patch in the playground. They just can't risk it. A few years back a headmaster actually told me that this was the main reason, but teachers not being able to get into work is a factor as well.

[Ryzen]

Its very interesting that teachers cant get to work ..but nurses can!

[pastafreak]

Growing up east of NYC, I seem to remember missing 1 or 2 days every winter during primary school. And my school was within sight of our house.But of course, not due just to a light snowfall...these were blizzards.

[derekpara]

Ryzen. Are you saying that All teachers can't get to work and all nurses can in the same conditions ? I'd like to know where you get your evidence.

[gness]

Ryzen.....you can't possibly know that all nurses can get to work.......so have you just said that to have a go at teachers?

[kvalidir]

Presumably health and safety laws don't apply in Norway or Canada. I must admit that I find it really irritating that everyone just seems to keel over at the first trace of snow generally ( I have no children ref the school topic in particular but especially down south the amount of stuff that grinds to a halt other than schools is incredible).

[Prudie]

Izal was great for folding over a comb as a makeshift mouth organ :-)

[tonyav]

Yep, great for making Kazoo's.

[gness]

Health and safety laws do apply in Canada as does common sense....
The difference is that in Canada we could have six months of snow and very low temperatures so we prepared for it....snow chains....good, very good road clearing....and points to plug in our cars...because that was normal life for half the year....
We don't have to prepare for that here so, for the few days it does happen, it affects us more.....
But when it does happen embrace and enjoy it if you can....or tuck up under the duvet with a good book......or man if you're lucky..... ;-)

[sherrardk]

When I was working the majority of the teaching staff lived 20+ miles away from school. Someone has to make a considered decision about closing a school before everyone sets out on their journeys. Here two of my children go to school in the sticks and the LEA decides when to shut their school and will send the buses out early to collect them if it is looking dodgy. We've had quite a few snow days here and boy #2 had to come back from a residential early one year. I love snow days, I'm up first checking the Internet to see which schools are shut.

[Spicerack]

Because they can.