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I was gonna reply that it's just a teenage thing and they'll get over it before realising I'd misread the thread title...
So back in 2009 we had a lot of snow up in Scotland.
I had one team member who lived in a fairly rural location (although we are still talking Central Belt not the Highlands)
He claimed he couldn't get in because of the conditions -local roads not cleared etc - even though he drove a Freelander! So he has to work from home - fine. Then his internet connection goes down so now he is essentially getting a free holiday.
I checked and there was a train station in his village, he bitched and moaned that it was over a mile from his house and he would struggle to get there. I told him fine but he was taking any additional days out of work as annual leave.
Funnily enough road conditions improved in his village the very next day
So in conclusion there are some right lazy barstewards who just like an excuse for a day off!
If a child at school slips on the ice/snow then parents want cash and blame the school
This was always the reason we were given. Snow & ice and not enough staff to police the kids the easiest solution is to close the school.
Tough. It's a school, not a glorified baby-sitter
Quite right. We just leave my four-year-old home alone with a giant bag of crisps and some lego so my wife can go to work
Actually, no - she stayed at home unpaid.
Yet if I take my 2 horrors out of school for a few days. I get a snotty letter telling me how their education will suffer and is detrimental to their learning a development. No thought is given to that when a snowflake tumbles down.
I have never missed a days work due to snow/weather.
We've priced Teachers and Nurses out of our city centres, so they have long commutes to work. The days when everyone lived neat their work seem to be long gone, which is a real shame as commuting is pretty sole destroying, costly and pretty daft if you think about it.
Yet if I take my 2 horrors out of school for a few days. I get a snotty letter telling me how their education will suffer and is detrimental to their learning a development. No thought is given to that when a snowflake tumbles down.
But (Devil’s Advocate and all that) it can’t be detrimental if the school is shut as it is the worry of children slipping behind if they miss lessons that everyone else attends.
In my area they have a sensible policy. They have identified teachers that live withinn walking distance of a school (doesn't need to be their normal place of work school) When weather is forecast to be bad teachers are then deplyed to nearest, walking distance school. If this results in enough staff to open, then the school is open. If not enough staff then partial closure.
as an aside, my neighbour taught in a local school that had a tiny catchment area, every single child lived within walking distance. In 2009 when weather was terrible, staff drove in, some from 40 miles away in really bad conditions yet more than 50% of kids didn't turn up, despite living within walking distance. Can only conclude parents were happy to have them off school or wouldn't drive them in and couldn't entertain the idea of actually manning up and walking them the short distance to school.
Headmaster at the school where my Mrs works slept over at the school a couple of days last week so he could guarantee it would be open.
Lazy sod.
We've priced Teachers and Nurses out of our city centres
Just about all public sector workers
if they miss lessons that everyone else attends
Ah yes the last week of term, when its TV, video games and generally doing **** all
I'm glad our kids school is shut! They don't let them go out at playtimes when there's snow on the ground which is bloody ridiculous, in fact one day last year they'd been stuck inside for three days on the bounce so we kept them off on the Friday! Also it means we are off sledging in the next thirty minutes and no doubt it'll be a four hour session again!!!
Yet if I take my 2 horrors out of school for a few days. I get a snotty letter telling me how their education will suffer and is detrimental to their learning a development. No thought is given to that when a snowflake tumbles down.
Do you think the teacher and all the other kids sit doing nothing, and wait for yours to come back, if you take them out of school for a few days ?
Or do you think they carry on with lessons as usual and your kids miss stuff ?
We've priced Teachers and Nurses out of our city centres, so they have long commutes to work
which Cities? or is it just London
Vast majority of teachers on well above national average wages
Or do you think they carry on with lessons as usual and your kids miss stuff ?
Lessons don't make me laugh 😆
last week of term, when its TV, video games and generally doing **** all
My ex is a head teacher and shuts her school frequently. She doesn't know how to drive in snow and is incapable of rationally judging risk. Like the rest of her public sector chums, risk aversion is a preoccupation, finances are off the radar! They all feel as if the world will sue the socks of them if anything goes wrong and they may be deemed to be responsible. Their logic is loopy eg person climbs on school roof and falls through polycarbonate sky light, lands of furniture below. School thinks they are culpable, so don't place furniture below skylight!? My reckoning is that person trespassing is entirely responsible, period!
When i asked he about reflecting on previous cases over the past 25 years, she could not recall one single case where she or any of her head teacher colleagues in other schools were faced with a claim!.
Teachers are brainwashed by county council's perceived risks and eventually, they too become institutionalised. This is the public sector culture of today and they are clueless about the real aggravation they cause when closing up and having a nice day off!
The entire lot of them have no concern about money as they will receive their annual budgets and salaries regardless of whether they are open for business, or remain closed.
The solution is simple; divide the budget by the number of days the school's doors are open each year and subtract the sum for each day every time the school is closed. They can then insure for the risk of when it clearly isn't possible to open. Parents then won't have their own jobs and businesses put at risk by having to regularly take time out to look after their children! The schools will only close in dire emergencies and the taxes we pay will deliver the services we righly deserve.
Job done! 😀
onehundredthidiot - MemberMy sister lives in the same town I do and teaches primary there they have "resiliant schools" which means that staff attend nearest school as opposed to their own school.
This is the most sensible thing I have heard but never seen happen, re schools and snow. Should apply to all service sectors - hospitals, care centres, schools, the lot - surely some resources are better than none.
Mrs Cat is now an ex Community Midwife who went out in all weathers, irrespective of how deep the snow became. We had to buy her a 4x4 because that's what her job dictated, no help from the Trust, they just expected her to get there, as did the expectant mums.
Perhaps Pob's announcement re performance related pay for teachers may change things. 😀
There's another factor to it, attendance in schools is a big factor to if its viewed as 'succeeding' or 'failing', if the school opened and half the kids didn't turn up it would be marked against them, hence shutting the school - according to the missus (teacher). Asked her why weather wasn't taken into account and she said it just isn't...yay...
"[i]they can take the best part of a year off, paid[/i]"
Erm, yeah, check that fact fella...
right o Fire station will be closed tomorrow as flurries have hit here. Take care out there.
[b]last week of term[/b], when its TV, video games and generally doing **** all
was that the sound of goalposts being moved ? 😉
The model rogerthecat describes is I believe standard practice across Scotland (teachers to attend local school if unable to attend their own, even outside their own local authority area).This is the most sensible thing I have heard but never seen happen, re schools and snow. Should apply to all service sectors - hospitals, care centres, schools, the lot - surely some resources are better than none.
2 years ago schools still shut because the council risk assessed it. I don't think I ever got a response to my letter asking why it was inherently unsafe in a school classroom compared to the likely situation that the children were outside playing in the ice / snow / sledging and / or poorly supervised at home. I don't think my letter pointing out the obligation in the Education Act to open on 190 days a year was too popular - especially when they subsequently closed for the royal wedding...
[i]teachers to attend local school if unable to attend their own, even outside their own local authority area[/i]
I'm sure my wife will welcome them to her school.
Gastrostomy feeding is one of those things you need no training for.
which Cities? or is it just LondonVast majority of teachers on well above national average wages
Most cities. You need to earn well above mean average wage to buy a house in most places now....
My wife is a teacher - and her school is closed today.
They closed at 11.30am on Friday - semi rural location - 50% of kids are bussed in from rural locations. The bus company forced their hand on Friday by phoning the school and telling them the buses would be at the school at 11.30 - any child who wasn't on a bus would have to make their own way home.
Today they are closed because the site has been deemed to dangerous to work in.
When it started to snow on friday - the school was immediately inundated with f***wit parents demanding their child be let out of school because they didn't want to drive and pick them up later if the snow got any worse.
There are many issues which have lead to the current situation - not all apply to all schools though.
Schools are sh*t scared of litigation if someone falls over on the site.
The last two schools my wife has worked in - the caretakers used to live on site - however when the schools became academys they sold the caretakers houses off to make some money, and now the caretakers live miles away, and often cannot get in to help clear the site.
When I was at school the on-site caretakers would grit the whole school - my wifes school doesn't hold any grit as it is deemed a waste of money (it might not snow again for 5 years?)
Teachers (and kids) now travel a lot further to get to school - the days of going to the nearest school are long gone - you try and send your child to the best school, which is not always the nearest.
Many teachers are also parents - school closeures have a bit of a cascade effect - if your kids are out of school and you can't find anyone to look after them what do you do?
I think this slightly silly situation is a product of modern life, and is here to stay...
footflaps -
I assume you mean MEDIAN not MEAN as nobody uses mean as average wage (skewed by outliers) therefore if your statement were accurate 50% of the population could not afford to live "most places" now...
Bear in mind (1) individual earnings are not the same as household.
(2) STARTING salary for teachers is round about the average for all workers in the UK...
I think once one shuts then another and another it kind of just snowballs......
Many teachers are also parents - school closeures have a bit of a cascade effect - if your kids are out of school and you can't find anyone to look after them what do you do?
My parents used to take me to their school when there wasn't anyone else to look after us. I remember being allowed to draw all over the blackboards in empty classrooms in my Dad's school. It was a great day out as I recall.
my wifes school doesn't hold any grit as it is deemed a waste of money (it might not snow again for 5 years?)
Does grit have a use-by date on it?
I suppose back in my school days, only a few had cars and most pupils lived close enough to walk to school, as did most of the teachers. The school bus did the rest and the roads were pretty clear. The lower number of drivers that were there were used to driving in snow and weren't needlessly panicked by the hyped up media and "good advice" that authorities now give out (understandable if you are delivering emergency services and don't fancy the thought of being inundated with incidents, as is the case with congested roads full of drivers inexperienced in driving in snow).
When you think about it, cheap cars and cheap transport has allowed these bad habits to form, where people waste time and fuel getting about. Life was inevitably much simpler and straightforward back then. So being richer does not mean a better quality of life (I learned this clocking up starship mileages in a company car - purgatory in a luxury vehicle).
I live in and went to primary school in a rural area, from 1976 to 1983. I can't recall the school ever being closed because of bad weather. One of the teachers lived 20 miles away and always managed to get in. If we couldn't be driven to school or the buses weren't running we had to walk.
When I went to secondary school, which was 16 miles from home we had a bus laid on. I can only remember that school being shut once, for one day, in 1987.
It's an absolute nonsense. Perhaps they could use "snow-days" learning how to drive in the stuff...
Rural Leicestershire here.
We have two schools in the village, right next to each other. One is a primary, the other a secondary.
The catchment area for the primary is the village, the majority of pupils (including my own two) walk in; this one is open. The catchment area for the second one is much wider and the majority of the kids have to be bussed in from very rural areas; this one is closed as the bus company is refusing to run.
Our local one closes because otherwise you've got massive amounts of kids making avoidable journeys in an assortment of ways.
Sure, in ye old days they stayed open more, but then less crowded roads etc meant it was safer too.
I lost 3 days from school between 1973 & 1984, and that was due to a broken boiler in the winter of 79/80.
Have to take my hat off to the head of my lads primary, in Lichfield.
He refuses to shut the school as he sadi most live within 15min walk, & it causes the parents too much disruption. We arrived this morning to find he'd been in since 6am clearing paths with the caretaker. Top bloke. Could do with more like him.
Compare that to the school the wifes sister teaches at, in B'ham. That was shut last Thursday...the day BEFORE the snow came. She became cross at mu suggestion that, as a PUBLIC SERVANT, she should be out gritting paths.
I'm surprised that my office seems to be at full strength today, I guess the lack of school kids on the roads helped!
I remember maybe 1 snow day ever, and yes that was boiler related. It was a Catholic school, Jesus protected the kids and teachers alike 🙂
I used to walk most days - snow days were just a bit colder to walk in!
My kids school was closed on friday - partly because someone phone in a hoax call to local radio and hence it was announced on the radio that it was closed.
Anyway in order to open today the school appealed to parents to help clear the paths and entrances, so I spent a hour up there last night clearing snow. Now I can feel smug in the knowledge that I did a little to help while 99% of the whingers have done nothing but whinge and moan.
f the rest of us can get to work why can't teachers?
.
Also, why should parents get a 'free' day off just because the schools are closed? If I just decided not to come to work I would have to take it as a holiday, they should too. It really irks me that the rest of us have cover for parents all the time, because the little dears school is shut or the little darling has a poorly tummy, and they feel entitled to take a day off, while the rest of us struggle in. Two poeple in my office didn't make it today, one becuase the school was shut, so she's legally entitled to have a day off because of childcare problems, (Tough. It's a school, not a glorified baby-sitter) the other couldn't make it because of the roads where she lives but has had to take a days holiday.
And don't get me started on maternity holiday, they can take the best part of a year off, paid, (and still accrue holiday entitlement while they are off!) and then decide not to return to work, seen this done here many times. There shouyld be a law which says if they leave before, for example, 2yrs after returning to work they should have to pay back the maternity pay.
.
Rant over. Probably failed due to lack of random capitals.
My old mans school shut because of the bus and taxi companies refusing to bring the children in, he can get to work quite easily but they told him not to come in because there's sod all to do.
Why the **** should he have pay docked again if it's beyond his control? Also, perhaps if you paid more taxes we could afford more snow clearing equipment like the Canadians and some more local, less centralized and better bloody day care centers. Or or....business could take sodding responsibility for children and have more of their own daycare centers and get a tax rebate for it instead of being socially responsible and dodging tax.
I'd say a few other things as to how I regard your post but I'd get banned.
Anybody off work here has to take the day as annual leave or unpaid. If your work pays people it's a problem with your work policy not the fact schools are closed
Anybody off work here has to take the day as annual leave or unpaid. If your work pays people it's a problem with your work policy not the fact schools are closed
Or if your work doesn't pay you because they closed despite your ability to get in, then it's your problem you were stupid enough to sign a contract that stated they wouldn't pay you in those circumstances.
Should have got a better job shouldn't you! I know full well that a few of my mates who have been clever enough to sign contracts where by they're paid for contracts on rigs when the things have been closed/the helis have been unable to get them out....or they're paid overtime if they can't get off the things. Funny, if your good....you tend to get decent contracts in the private industry with decent perks.
Andrewh what is this legally entitled to a day off for childcare issues you speak of?
I'm off today luckily but back tomorrow. last snow day my Mrs was away in London for a police training course and I had to ring in as school shut. I had to take a days leave and had to put my dress uniform on for telling off from the big bosses at hq about my poor planning on the childcare front ?? Apparently my lack of forethought was a danger to the general public in my station area 🙁 they also questioned why her work took priority to mine despite the fact she was in London and we live in Leeds and the school was announced shut half hour before I started work.
This is after having never been allowed a day off for childcare issues before and the Mrs having to take time off every time something happens, she actually is allowed 4 childcare days which don't come off her entitlement where as I'm allowed none
****ers)
The centralisation and privatisation of services is a significant issue - the school dinners service for some of the schools round here is all done at one school - this one is shut, meaning that the others either have to shut as well, or sort out the school meals - once it's all sold off to the highest bigger, and all the schools are done through one company this will only get worse.
simple incase of insurance claims
my kids primary school is open.. but they can only use the main gate and front doors they are not allowed at playtime or lunchtime.. no snow has being cleared.. except for a patch 4 feet by twelve that is occupied by the head teachers merc.
according to ofsted the average salary in the school is just under 37k.. you can buy a row of house for that in rochdale so i'd hope that the head from bolton and his other live away staff could afford 4wd to ensure my kids continued uninterrupted education.
according to ofsted the average salary in the school is just under 37k.. you can buy a row of house for that in rochdale so i'd hope that the head from bolton and his other live away staff could afford 4wd to ensure my kids continued uninterrupted education.
Again, how many times do you guys need things banging into your heads... that's not generally the problem. It's the ability of the children to get into school. This could be cured by better state funding of infrastructure and school transport.