AIBU to think school closures ignore parents' work commitments?

Yes, I was definitely plotting and celebrating as I was being sick. Fun times!

I'm sure parents in France, Italy etc are cussing up a storm too. Their schools are closed. It's an extreme event.

It’s probably the right thing to do, but having worked with teachers for many years, there will have been plotting in the staff room, and now glee. Yep, very cynical about them as a profession.

Aircon? How long have we known about the climate and previous summers? Why aren't schools adapting? That's a choice. Can buy standing fans for all rooms in the meantime but no, easier to just close and protect attendance stats.

No, they aren't.

Tbh it's just stats, liability, and them wanting to enjoy a bit of sunbathing in the garden. Seriously, no reason at all to close schools. They just know too many kids will skive or be 'ill' because parents take them on holiday, also the kids who go in won't do any work anyway while it's hot so why bother going in. Think schools should be forced to make it optional going in and not just be allowed to close.

Mostly, they're just worried too many students will skive because it affects their attendance stats. All about stats in the end, sadly.

Maybe we need to close all the hospitals too….

Schools don’t make the decisions lightly and it’s made in the best interest of the children. We know it’s not ideal but we have to put the safety of the children first. We are contemplating half days for the rest of the week because 30 children in 35 degree plus rooms simply isn’t safe.

I would find that incredibly frustrating too. Our school are very much not communicating it like that, thers lots of "we know this might be difficult" etc. They're opening for mornings for everyone and then making the closing after lunch "optional". They are staying open in the afternoons (and for after school club) for those that need to be there, although they do have air con in the main hall and two portable air con units for the small hall though so they have reasonable space for them to have the staff/children (air con was mostly funded by PTA!).

Well, it’s pretty humid, and the temps are in excess of 35. Up to 40+ in some places. So your point is moot.

Yep it's so frustrating. I had a slightly cathartic interaction today though.
HT of a local school was in the queue for the coffee shop after school, absolutely seething about the NHS, that her outpatient appt tomorrow has been cancelled at short notice. Me: "yes it's a terrible shame. I've had to cancel my clinic too. No one else to take the kids you see, as school is closing". It took a while for the cogs to turn but she got there eventually.
I'm not sure why they think kids will be better off at home anyway, no one I know has AC in their house!

The problem with this, is suddenly half the children have keyworkers for parents. I remember during covid, when my girls were entitled to attend due to me being an nhs clinician - they could only have 8 in, but they had 15 asking so could only offer each child 2-3 days. No proof was asked for and parents openly boasted of lying, and some didn't even work!

I think DD's school have approached sensibly. Cancelled sports day, cancelled PE. Parents are given option to collect at 1pm, but they can stay until 3.30 if needed. They recognise that for some children, such as those who live in high rise flats, and those with challenging home lives, that being in school is the safer option. And that if those who can collect do so, there is less children so they can move then to the cooler areas of the school/have fewer in a classroom so less body heat building up.

It suprised me how many collected early though. Yesterday my girls were ones of only 6-7 in their classes who stayed.

I totally agree with the OP but at least they have told you, one of my kids schools haven’t made up their mind yet so not sure what I am doing about work tomorrow!

It’s really easy just make it optional.

Why don’t you suggest they offer a key worker group? Most schools have at least one room with air con.

I get what you’re saying about work but yesterday there were people on here moaning about schools NOT closing.

No, I'm not, and I'm not hostile either. I understand perfectly what you are trying to say, but you don't seem to understand what I am saying.

The law is that you have a responsibility to ensure your child has a FT education.

Schools have been set up with the purpose of removing that responsibility from the parents IF the parent wants them to. That's to ensure all children get the education they deserve. It's not to ensure you can go to work, or have a two salary income, or anything else. You remain responsible for your child- you're just not responsible for providing an a academic education.

IF you take them up on that offer, you are agreeing to them providing the education they consider suitable and supporting their rules. If you don't want to, you have to make alternative arrangements, it's really that simple.

It IS your problem to deal with it if they can't safely have the children in school. Parents spend a lot of time complaining that schools aren't catering enough to their specific needs, whilst conveniently forgetting that free (at the point of use) mainstream education is a huge privilege that many children worldwide do not have access to, ever. And their parents have to work too.

There isn’t any and education has never been a priority for spending. The government most likely thinks a few days of closures outweigh the economic cost and of course they won’t be blamed as they leave it to schools to make the decisions.

Just had email to say my children’s school is closing at 1pm. No word on mine - but here’s hoping!

What do you expect them to do?

They can’t do right for doing wrong in some people’s eyes.

I think maybe there might be some adjustments to the summer term in the long run? Starting at 7am and finishing at 1pm. I believe quite a few hot countries do it like this.

It absolutely does.

But the expectation for parents to deliver homeschooling doesn’t trump work commitments.

Iron would also cost a lot to run. Where is the money going to come from?

It would cost millions and schools are already crying out for other things.

This. Heatwaves like this are going to become normal in a few years & we need to adapt as soon as possible.

Why should they go? Well in the country I live in they HAVE to go and if they don’t there are sanctions for that