AIBU to think school closures ignore parents' work commitments?

Nursery is caring for the child, yes that's childcare. School and school clubs isn't, they are there to teach and school clubs to teach sport, music etc. There's a big difference

But that is the same for nursery or after school clubs, isnt it. "Childcare" doesnt mean you never call the parents to come and collect them.

Maybe parents should stop the expectation then. While at school parents are still responsible for their children . Illness, accident, weather etc are all reasons why a child will be sent home without notice. Parents really do need to be prepared for that.

I fainted at work due to it being dangerously hot in an exam hall full of students. Have now got an injured shoulder and pretty sure I have heat exhaustion due to the constant nosebleeds I’ve been having since.

Yes I care about students, but actually, teachers are employees too and deserve to work in a safe environment.

Maybe you’d be happy knowing that we were working though just for the sake of not having a day off.

I was just disputing the point that "school isnt childcare" and was pointing out that many parents use it as childcare.

If primary schools make it optional then parents who think it’s dangerous can keep them home. Our school did that. Quite a few took them home at lunch and some stayed. Seemed to work well.

Oh so let's all just keep our kids in a dangerous situation just because some people see it as childcare. Jesus Christ give your head a wobble

Also, as another poster mentioned above, if school is not also used as childcare, why did many of the children of key workers still go to school during covid?

Yes, school is there primarily to educate but you are deluded if you think parents dont rely on it for childcare. I haven't "demanded" that schools stay open, i just stated that school is used by many as childcare. Otherwise they wouldnt be able to work.

I am absolutely sick to death of this attitude. Teachers are amazing, they go above and beyond for the kids they teach. We have had a life threatening heatwave, this is a danger to staff and children. And by the way it's not the teachers who make the decision if the school closes. A decision is made by people higher up in the school for the welfare of staff and students. Parents working responsibilities are not considered because parents don't attend the school, simple as. The decision is made for the people who are in the school environment, they carnt make the decision based on parents, I'm sorry but that's the way it has to be. No I'm not a teacher but this ignorant attitude towards hardworking teachers makes me so angry. It's people like you that force amazing teachers to quit. Think about that

Polling data

Here you go, two thirds of teachers experienced children feeling sick in the heat, and a third had kids needing medical attention.

But yeah, let's keep sending out kids into school just to fuck over the teachers, right?

What would this country be like if everyone downed tools for a bit of heat!
Shops closed,hospitals closed,everything! Happy now?

It has nothing to do with teachers worrying about kids. As always its teachers worrying about teachers, any excuse for more time off, never mind what parents are supposed to do! Are teachers the only ones who have been hot this week? What about manual workers,it must be awful.There really is no excuse for this.

Yes, they do go the extra mile. I wish the government would stop punishing them!

I completely get it's annoying and doesn't take into account working schedules but honestly it's much easier to keep one/ a couple of children cool in their own home than 300+ students cool in buildings that aren't built to handle anywhere near that kind of heat. And as it's usually last minute decisions they can't exactly send out a notice so people can make other arrangements well in advance

Yes, the ones who struggled here were the secondary teachers with primary age children because the primaries fully shut, while the secondaries closed at lunch time. This is why we ended up with key workers' children going to school in COVID times.

I think the secondaries ended up gathering large groups in cooler areas and lower floors.

Teachers need child care during term time just as much as anybody else. It doesn't change my opinion, working parents isn't a priority for schools and the safety of kids and staff comes first, even if that includes closing schools. Why should a child of mine be put in an unsafe environment because working parents think their needs take priority ?

So did no teacher working in an open school mention it would be problematic for them when their own children's school closed? I would imagine it might be even harder for teachers who are parents because they are not as used to needing childcare during term time.

Parents work commitments are not on the school radar. It didn't even come last on the list of priorities because parents work is none of there business. They are there to teach children in a safe environment. The weather this week has proved it's not a safe environment so they wont be going in. Are you seriously saying your work takes priority to the health and safety and children and staff?

Aren't our wonderful government always wanging on about how much easier it is for parents to work when schools have wrap around care?

I think there are two points: first, school can't let the under 16s out without telling parents. Second, the kids are not in a fit state to look after themselves. They aren't usually this mad - when I went through water safety yesterday they were all puzzled why anyone would swim in the river "you know it's full of sewage miss", but they've properly lost their senses today.

The issue is there is no such thing as paid childcare during the school week for over-5s. And if there was it would also be shut.

Fortunately I have an understanding employer and DH and I covered a day each this week. But for say a single parent of 2 with 2 lots of illnesses plus potential snow days and heat days off it starts to build up.

School is to educate. Childcare arrangements are for the parents to sort out. Very entitled imo to view school as childcare and demand that it remain open for such purposes, as some posters have been doing.

True. There are 6 secondary schools in a 4 mile radius to where I live (including the one I teach at). A parent on my local community page was ranting that her daughter was sent to isolation for wearing PE kit as the 'relaxed' uniform was just no blazer and tie. The rest of our schools has PE rule. There are crap schools out - I wish parents could not tar us all with the same brush.