Teachers and Snow Days

[Ric.ror]

Should they get paid?

I managed to get to work - my colleague would have but her little ones school was closed.

[Coobeastie]

http://news.bbc.co.uk.../cornwall/8430141.stm

Now imagine if this had been a school bus.

[squarebear]

Yes I was saying that the profession was the same when I was at school so why has it suddenly changed?

[B00]

More than likely as we didn't have a Where theres blame ,there's a claim society that we do now SB (names too long to type now ;0 )

[squarebear]

Well yes Boo. Unfortunately, I guess that's the crux to the whole problem. Sad really isn't it? The child's education suffers because schools are worried that they might get sued if they trip up. And this is supposed to be progress eh?

[squarebear]

i can't think of one infundibulum. Why do you believe this has any bearing on the subject matter?

[Barmaid]

The profession has not changed Squarebear but logistics have. Part of the difficulty is that as my grandmother was saying - when she was at school 75 years ago - the schools didn't close. But that's because the children went to local schools and the teachers lived in the locality. She said she can remember walking to school with snow drifts as high as her shoulders. Nowadays, few villages have schools and many (particularly in rural areas) are further than 2 miles away. As we have become more mobile as a society we work further and further away from our homes (I work anything up to 150 miles away) and thus transport has become far more fundamental to how we live our lives. Years ago we had village shops and village schools and people worked reasonably locally, things have changed so much.

[ummmm]

I agree with BM. There are 2 catholic primary schools in Northampton and 1 upper so many kids have to travel. My eldest son's school (upper) is about 2 miles away. My youngest sons is 2.5 miles away in another direction. I wouldn't have taken them to school today even if they were open. In this weather, even if they are open and the kids don't attend the school mark it as authorised absence.

[4getmenot]

yes less people driving 75yrs ago

[gina32]

i agree with some of the answers on here, when i was at school we werent sent home because the school was closed due to snow we went out in the break time and played in it. and as for the parents being informed at dinner time that is exactly what happened with my daughter, she got a text messge at 13.06 to say please collect your child from school by 13.00 as we are closing!

[gina32]

nothing wrong with having to look after your child but some people made the effort to get into work then have to leave to get them from school. what would happen if doctors or nurses or suchlike professions decided they "couldnt" manage to get into work?

[squarebear]

Indeed. Too many people are too soft.

"My house is on fire"
"Sorry sir but all the firemen have stayed at home due to the snow".

[B00]

Exactly the same Gina.

However in this case we're blaming the teachers for the school closing, when this simply isn't the case. If a doctors surgery was closed would you blame the receptionist for it?

[Ankou]

if my boss decided that our office was closed for the day and i could not come in to work, i'd be right peed off if i didn't get paid for that day.

[bednobs]

have not had time to trawl through the answers but
1) if your workplace is closed but you are prepared to work you should get paid
2) if you can't get into work you shouldn't get paid and should make up the time or take holiday

[squarebear]

AH! I see what you mean! I was under the impression taht the teachers and headmaster got together and decided whether their own school should be open or not. Is this not the case?

[squarebear]

It would be hard to enforce rule 1 though bednobs.
Who wouldn't say, "Oh yes the place was shut but I would have loved to have worked there today"?

[sara3]

squarebear, are you doing this from work?