schools opening when it has snowed!

Hanging_by_a_thread

Every profession have those who work in them who do their best and are reliable as well as those who couldn't give a stuff and take the mick. It is not limited to the teaching profession.

I think it is somewhat naive to try and say that teachers will be the only ones not bothering to turn up at work, using the snow as an excuse. I bet there are hundreds if not thousands of people who didn't get in to their places of employment over the last few days. Some with genuinely good reason, some who just could not be bothered.

FBaby

What is amazing is how out of 10 local schools (primary and secondary), some have opened, others not.... It didn't snow more in one postcode than the other...the schools all feed the local residents, so how is one school more at risk than the other? We are talking about within a mile or less of each other in some cases?

daisiegg

FBaby wrote: »

What is amazing is how out of 10 local schools (primary and secondary), some have opened, others not.... It didn't snow more in one postcode than the other...the schools all feed the local residents, so how is one school more at risk than the other? We are talking about within a mile or less of each other in some cases?

Some of those schools have plenty of staff who live within walking distance, some of them have many staff who live over an hour's drive away... that is all I can guess!

balletshoes

FBaby wrote: »

What is amazing is how out of 10 local schools (primary and secondary), some have opened, others not.... It didn't snow more in one postcode than the other...the schools all feed the local residents, so how is one school more at risk than the other? We are talking about within a mile or less of each other in some cases?

any boiler failures in the mix? That was the only reason my DD's primary school ever closed in the bad weather.

bylromarha

Well we had pretty thick snow on the ground today and we still opened our school.

EVERY other school in our town, bar 1, was closed. EVERY school in the city south of our town was closed by the LEA. EVERY school in the LEA west of our town was closed by the LEA. Every school in the town north of our town was closed.

And we opened. Every teacher made it in, except the pregnant one. Most of us started our journey earlier than normal to be there - in order that we could play babysitting duties to the few kids who had come in.

Reception pupil roll - 60 kids. Kids in school today - 18.
Key Stage 1 pupil roll - 120 kids. Kids in school today - 42.
Key Stage 2 pupil roll - 240 kids. Kids in school today - 71.

Parents whinging on the playground that school was open. Parents whinging to me as they dropped their kids off that school was open.
Parents who live across the road from school not bringing their kids in.
Parents moaning on facebook that school was open.
Parents ringing school office in disbelief that school was open.

And we're doing it all again tomorrow...

I wish the LEA would either fine schools for not opening when they should open, or force schools like ours to shut. If the school down the road is unsafe in the snow, why is ours okay in the snow? I can understand the parents grumbles as this is what they see. We have staff who live in the sticks make it in, staff whose journeys were doubled due to the snow, but we all did it. Why could staff in other schools not make the journey?

elisebutt65

zoominatorone wrote: »

They should be going in "for the sake of it" anyway--no wonder teachers get a bad press, they think they are above the rules of everyone else.

People would soon start kicking off if supermarket staff started callin in en-masse because of the snow and shops had to close! Or are they somehow less worthy than teachers?

Actually my haircut was cancelled on Friday due to lack of staff getting in, so it does happen in the private sector. Also, all teaching staff had to stay until 4pm or take toil if they wanted to leave early.

johnnyl

Hanging_by_a_thread wrote: »

Every profession have those who work in them who do their best and are reliable as well as those who couldn't give a stuff and take the mick. It is not limited to the teaching profession.

I think it is somewhat naive to try and say that teachers will be the only ones not bothering to turn up at work, using the snow as an excuse. I bet there are hundreds if not thousands of people who didn't get in to their places of employment over the last few days. Some with genuinely good reason, some who just could not be bothered.

There are apparently 5000 schools shut today.

Are there 5000 doctors shut, or 5000 offices shut, or 5000 chemical plants shut, or 5000 post offices shut, or 5000 shops shut, or 5000 pubs shut.

There is one group that is consistently shut the second a snowflake hits the ground. The reputation is fully earned.

johnnyl

johnnyl wrote: »

There are apparently 5000 schools shut today.

Are there 5000 doctors shut, or 5000 offices shut, or 5000 chemical plants shut, or 5000 post offices shut, or 5000 shops shut, or 5000 pubs shut.

There is one group that is consistently shut the second a snowflake hits the ground. The reputation is fully earned.

and incidentally, that is approximately 20% of all schools that are shut. I challenege anyone to find any other group that has 20% of its operation shut because of the snow.

marisco_2

johnnyl wrote: »

Schools quite literally live in a bubble and have no concept of what other people do.

If only this were true. Schools are at the forefront of experiencing what other people do and how they live. You cant work with so many children, get involved with their education and fully rounded development, yet be able to live in a bubble with no concept of people. This is just the straightforward cases.

Why do you think schools are often the ones who have the utterly unenviable position of having to work closely with so many outside agencies. I think you would be amazed at what situations teachers come into contact with. Believe me the realities of life are brought home to us every single day. There is no living in some bubble, more is the pity. Life isn't that simple.

daisiegg

johnnyl wrote: »

There are apparently 5000 schools shut today.

Are there 5000 doctors shut, or 5000 offices shut, or 5000 chemical plants shut, or 5000 post offices shut, or 5000 shops shut, or 5000 pubs shut.

There is one group that is consistently shut the second a snowflake hits the ground. The reputation is fully earned.

None of those other places are looking after children. How can you not get that through your head?!

Incidentally, my local post office is shut as is my local shop, our rubbish didn't get collected today and there has been no postal delivery. I have lots of non-teacher friends on Facebook who are 'working from home' today. My dad's office has only half its workers there today. A school can't stay open with only half its staff, though...