News1 min ago
Schools closed
With all the snow yesterday over a million children wernt allowed to go to school due to them being shut. How do you feel about this? Many adults today are moaning they had to take time off work to look after their children.
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It seems to me a lot so many people want a family but dont want to have to look after them a relative of mine used to be a child minder but gave it up due to all the stupid rules and regulations but she was always being asked to take children as young as 3 months which she wouldnt surley if you have children you should look after them and not moan about it
Personally I wouldn't moan about taking time off to look after little OBonio. But at the same time I believe the schools have been very irresponsible by closing for two days. I get the feeling it was a 'well, it's only Friday... be nice to have a long weekend' decision. When I were a lad, we went into school and then sent home or merged classes if teachers didn't manage to get in. Why can't they do that now?
Hmmm, personally i think its pathetic that the schools are closing. Even if the kids went to school and there wasnt enough teachers, they could have a 'play day'. I think the adults have a right to vent their anger as they see it as if they can make it to their place of work, then why cant others.
Of course i know in some circumstances that snow does prevent people getting to work. But the other day, i read in the paper that schools in birmingham were closing ahead of schedule. There hadnt even been any snow, yet they said they were closing. In this day and age in this country, a little snow shouldnt prevent things from running as per normal. There should be contingency plans in place. As the cost of living goes up and more and more people are going out to work these days, its only right that the government has actions in place in times like this...
Of course i know in some circumstances that snow does prevent people getting to work. But the other day, i read in the paper that schools in birmingham were closing ahead of schedule. There hadnt even been any snow, yet they said they were closing. In this day and age in this country, a little snow shouldnt prevent things from running as per normal. There should be contingency plans in place. As the cost of living goes up and more and more people are going out to work these days, its only right that the government has actions in place in times like this...
When you look at countries that have regular snow during the winter it makes you wonder why they don't shut down for 3 months. They just get on with it and make allowances - things certainly don't come to a stand still. The company I work for expect the staff to make the effort to come into work when there is snow and I don't see why teachers don't think it's worth making the effort.
If you take your children out of school to go on holiday, they are on to you like a ton of bricks. You are threatening your childs future for the rest of their lives, they will never catch up etc. Then at the slightest hint of snow or a teachers training day, they shut the school without hesitation.
The schools actually shut for the staff and not the pupils sake. The children live locally and will not have much trouble getting home, but staff often come many miles by car, and god forbid they might get home late.
The schools actually shut for the staff and not the pupils sake. The children live locally and will not have much trouble getting home, but staff often come many miles by car, and god forbid they might get home late.
my school was only closed once due to bad weather when i was a child and thats because the heating was broken. If we were at school and there was snow and ice, making it dangerous to be outside, then we were kept in at lunchtime and supervised.
Its fair enough to say that a parent should untimately take care of their child at any time, but some parents have to work for vital wages. This doesnt affect me yet as my son is not at school age and my wages are not so vital but i feel for those parents who lost out financially yesterday and today because of the school closures.
The teachers and government are the first to complain should a child be removed from school 2 days before the end of term to go on a holiday, so how can they reverse such things when it suits them?
Its fair enough to say that a parent should untimately take care of their child at any time, but some parents have to work for vital wages. This doesnt affect me yet as my son is not at school age and my wages are not so vital but i feel for those parents who lost out financially yesterday and today because of the school closures.
The teachers and government are the first to complain should a child be removed from school 2 days before the end of term to go on a holiday, so how can they reverse such things when it suits them?
That�s just it Mr Johny is probably the same person that would moan he�s had to look after his kid. I think it is pathetic as the only reasons for closure wernt because children might have accidents it was because teachers couldn�t get in even though everyone else had to go to work. I would be annoyed but if it was because school would be dangerous I would be happy to keep my children off school for a day.
Crazy. A little snow and schools close down - some claiming that the heating wasn't working!! Why should the heating suddenly not work if it snows? Another excuse for teachers not to go to work - the rest of us have to struggle in.
Although I agree that parents should be the ones looking after young children and should be home when children come out of school , parents of school age children often go out to work whilst their children are at school and are themselves expected to work if it snows.
Sorry, but teachers moan such a lot about their workload, etc. and don't seem to appreciate that the rest of the population usually have much more demanding jobs and can't just take a day off because of a few snowflakes.
Although I agree that parents should be the ones looking after young children and should be home when children come out of school , parents of school age children often go out to work whilst their children are at school and are themselves expected to work if it snows.
Sorry, but teachers moan such a lot about their workload, etc. and don't seem to appreciate that the rest of the population usually have much more demanding jobs and can't just take a day off because of a few snowflakes.
When I woke up yesterday morning I decided that I wasn't going to send my kids to school even if it was open. The reason, having watced the pathetic driving skills of some people, careering up the pavement into trees and the what have you, I thought it safer to stay home than wait at a bus stop. I live on a steep hill, the main feeder road to the M25, the only cars making any headway were 4X4's.
Getting back to teachers, if they can't get in they can't get in. A school cannot run if the adult child ratio is not there. There is also the problem of the teacher's children, if their school is closed then the teacher will have to take a day off and look after them, just like everyone else.
Getting back to teachers, if they can't get in they can't get in. A school cannot run if the adult child ratio is not there. There is also the problem of the teacher's children, if their school is closed then the teacher will have to take a day off and look after them, just like everyone else.
Thing is, Newtron, in the States you have snow worth talking about. You have deep, serious stuff that you need snow ploughs for. Yet your delays and disruptions are relatively minor. You get on with it. It's one thing I admire the Americans for.
Here, we get a dusting of icing sugar and the whole country grinds to a halt. Panic. Hysteria. Oh, it's so deep, we can't possibly go out in it. Can't risk driving (fair enough), and it's far too dangerous to actually walk. God forbid anyone should walk anywhere these days, especially when it comes to school.
I remember one really bad year in the 1960s, I lived on an edge-of-town housing development. We had about eight or ten inches of snow. We walked to school in our wellies and, after lots of fun with our mates in the playground, lobbing snowballs and making 'slides', we went inside to find the classroom heaters not working and some of the teachers hadn't been able to get in either. Those of us without teachers were allocated to the care of the ones who were in, and we all huddled in the cloakrooms (the only rooms with any heating) for singing and action games. Those of us who chose could have hot chocolate instead of school milk. Brilliant, and there didn't seem to be any major decrease in attendance.
Compensation? What for?
Here, we get a dusting of icing sugar and the whole country grinds to a halt. Panic. Hysteria. Oh, it's so deep, we can't possibly go out in it. Can't risk driving (fair enough), and it's far too dangerous to actually walk. God forbid anyone should walk anywhere these days, especially when it comes to school.
I remember one really bad year in the 1960s, I lived on an edge-of-town housing development. We had about eight or ten inches of snow. We walked to school in our wellies and, after lots of fun with our mates in the playground, lobbing snowballs and making 'slides', we went inside to find the classroom heaters not working and some of the teachers hadn't been able to get in either. Those of us without teachers were allocated to the care of the ones who were in, and we all huddled in the cloakrooms (the only rooms with any heating) for singing and action games. Those of us who chose could have hot chocolate instead of school milk. Brilliant, and there didn't seem to be any major decrease in attendance.
Compensation? What for?
I don't know when all this school-closing started but it's become a nonsense. When my two sons were at school they closed if it snowed (and there were some quite snowy winters in the early to mid-1980s) but it seemed to be mainly primary or infant schools which closed then.
I was at school during the 1950s (when nearly every winter brought at least one heavy snowfall) and was (just) still there during the notorious winter of 1962-63 and the schools I attended did not close at all. Not once.
I was at school during the 1950s (when nearly every winter brought at least one heavy snowfall) and was (just) still there during the notorious winter of 1962-63 and the schools I attended did not close at all. Not once.
I was at school during WW2, and even if you had been awake all night in the shelter, during an Air Raid, you were still expected to attend school the next day as were your teachers, who had most likely also carried out their Fire Watching or Wardens's duties, during the raid.
The system these days necessitates the need for both parents to work. Therefore if couples have organised their working lives around school hours and term times. Unexpected variants from this programme can cause very much inconvienience, especially when it is totally unnecessary.
Teacher's training days? these were unheard on in my day, but judging by the obvious lack of a basic education
some pupils leave school with these days, then maybe the teachers need as much training as they can get.
The system these days necessitates the need for both parents to work. Therefore if couples have organised their working lives around school hours and term times. Unexpected variants from this programme can cause very much inconvienience, especially when it is totally unnecessary.
Teacher's training days? these were unheard on in my day, but judging by the obvious lack of a basic education
some pupils leave school with these days, then maybe the teachers need as much training as they can get.
Oneeyedvic is right, it's all about compensation and Health and Safety. The lovely world that Saxyjag paints would delight the Where There's Blame There's a Claim solicitors. If a child breaks a leg slipping on those lovely slides Mr Johnny would make a fortune - and don't tell me he wouldn't try. And what about claims for eye injuries because of hard snowballs. ? The school would be blamed for not de-icing the playground. Keep the kids in all day - no chance, what about slips, trips and falls on wet surfaces ?
Anyway, it's not the school that makes the decision: the Head would take advice from it's LEA, who would consult their solicitors.
And from the way some of you speak you would think that everyone apart from teachers fought their way through at great personal risk and finally made it in. I don't think so.
I think its right that people should make a serious atempt to get to work - even though the emergency services are urging us to keep off the roads, and I can assure you that the vast majority of teachers DO make that effort.
As a parent and ex teacher I would like to see schools kept open if the staff could cope - and let the kids enjoy the snow, slides and all. provided parents agreed not to complain or claim. But you can't turn the clock back.
Anyway, it's not the school that makes the decision: the Head would take advice from it's LEA, who would consult their solicitors.
And from the way some of you speak you would think that everyone apart from teachers fought their way through at great personal risk and finally made it in. I don't think so.
I think its right that people should make a serious atempt to get to work - even though the emergency services are urging us to keep off the roads, and I can assure you that the vast majority of teachers DO make that effort.
As a parent and ex teacher I would like to see schools kept open if the staff could cope - and let the kids enjoy the snow, slides and all. provided parents agreed not to complain or claim. But you can't turn the clock back.
Teacher Training days are needed because the Government keep introducing new initiatives which staff need time to get to grips with. In the 'Good Old Days' when teachers were allowed to teach, there was no need to have training days - they just got on with the job. Don't give teachers a hard time over it - most of the time they would rather be teaching than spending a day learning about something which they don't think will enhance teaching and learning, but which they are required to do.
