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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think closing schools or making them "optional" during the heatwave is putting pressure on working parents and is just a bit silly?

619 replies

Suchevilforebodings · 23/06/2026 18:42

This doesn't actually effect me directly as neither of my children's schools have closed.
But some of the schools iny area are either closing or are making school optional IE: it won't be marked as absence.
I mean.... Really? Do kids actually need tome off because it's hot?
And is it fair on working parents to send out an email the day before to say school is closed? This heatwave was forecast last week.
Even making it "optional" puts the pressure on as the kids will want to stay off and many of their friends will be.
I just think it's bullshit tbh

OP posts:
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MrsMurphyIWish · 26/06/2026 05:23

Cheeseandolivesplease · 26/06/2026 00:49

May I ask those of you who are currently teachers who have children of your own...
If your own child/children were in a school that also closed, what happened to them?

@Cheeseandolivesplease I took unpaid leave yesterday and will do today.

Cheeseandolivesplease · 26/06/2026 00:49

May I ask those of you who are currently teachers who have children of your own...
If your own child/children were in a school that also closed, what happened to them?

Poppinpoppinpopcorn · 25/06/2026 23:47

You say it's putting pressure on working parents. What about the added pressure for teachers who have to work in this heat and teach a class of 30, and pressure on the kids who are hot, dehydrated and in no mood to concentrate due to the heat. It's not about working parents, it's about what works best for the kids and staff, parents don't get a look in, they just have to you know, be a responsible parent and parent

EvieBB · 25/06/2026 23:22

noblegiraffe · 23/06/2026 18:48

People who think it's unreasonable generally have zero experience of what's happening in schools this week and yet still think they can spout off about it.

👋

FrippEnos · 25/06/2026 17:59

Newsenmum · 25/06/2026 16:32

I hope this makes the local news so that it gets taken seriously. How awful.

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If it made it to the papers it would somehow be the teacher's fault.

noblegiraffe · 25/06/2026 17:02

ComfyKnickers · 25/06/2026 17:00

I think that some people would rather that children were vomiting from heat than any teachers had a day off from being in class.

It is bizarre. By demanding that teachers work in intolerable classrooms, they're demanding that children are in those same classrooms. Which is a very odd thing to be keen on.

ComfyKnickers · 25/06/2026 17:00

I think that some people would rather that children were vomiting from heat than any teachers had a day off from being in class.

hels71 · 25/06/2026 16:44

There are 31 children aged 9-10 in my classoom. It's not a big room, it's a tight squeeze to move around. We have no Aircon. ( We don't even have glue sticks, rulers or maths books) We had 1 small fan. By 10.30 it was 33.5 degrees in there. Children were struggling.....there is very little shade in our grounds. Children were sent in without hats, Sun cream or water.
Anyone fancy my job????

Thechaseison71 · 25/06/2026 16:44

Dontlookatme2 · 25/06/2026 16:42

You couldn’t care less about your kids being hot in school is a really bizzare take.
my daughter actually is going to school as her school is open but I couldn’t say I “ couldn’t care less “ about her being effected by the heat.

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The PP does state the school has aircon.

Dontlookatme2 · 25/06/2026 16:42

Backedoffhackedoff · 23/06/2026 19:37

Im with you OP. I also feel like the only parent in the uk who couldn’t care less about their children being hot in school 😂

school are saying they can be picked up at lunch- half the school is air conditioned! We have to work so they’re staying. You’ve got parents picking up just out of fear their children will be the only ones left. Absolute madness.

You couldn’t care less about your kids being hot in school is a really bizzare take.
my daughter actually is going to school as her school is open but I couldn’t say I “ couldn’t care less “ about her being effected by the heat.

JenniferBooth · 25/06/2026 16:42

Didimum · 25/06/2026 16:20

I popped on here yesterday to say that two children in my kids' class vomited from the heat yesterday. A third had a seizure today (heat induced) and was taken to hospital. And this is with shutting at 1pm.

FFS Shameful

JenniferBooth · 25/06/2026 16:33

Cheeseandolivesplease · 24/06/2026 23:20

@JenniferBooth The irony is she's a senior A&E nurse!!

Fucking hell

Newsenmum · 25/06/2026 16:32

Didimum · 25/06/2026 16:20

I popped on here yesterday to say that two children in my kids' class vomited from the heat yesterday. A third had a seizure today (heat induced) and was taken to hospital. And this is with shutting at 1pm.

I hope this makes the local news so that it gets taken seriously. How awful.

FrippEnos · 25/06/2026 16:26

Suchevilforebodings · 25/06/2026 14:34

Nope, just to do your jobs.

Like we all have to

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I would have loved that when I was teaching/
I would also have loved not to deal with the violence and threats from both pupils and parents.

Didimum · 25/06/2026 16:20

I popped on here yesterday to say that two children in my kids' class vomited from the heat yesterday. A third had a seizure today (heat induced) and was taken to hospital. And this is with shutting at 1pm.

MrsMurphyIWish · 25/06/2026 16:03

Teachers take emergency leave too - DH and I do! I’ve taken unpaid leave today and tomorrow. The month where the DCs had chicken pox was 4 weeks unpaid. We understand - it’s shit!

givememorefans · 25/06/2026 15:27

Cheeseandolivesplease · 25/06/2026 15:24

@givememorefans Are you able to WFH or have you had to take the day as emergency dependants leave?

I’m a f/t carer for my other child who is disabled.

Cheeseandolivesplease · 25/06/2026 15:24

@givememorefans Are you able to WFH or have you had to take the day as emergency dependants leave?

givememorefans · 25/06/2026 15:15

My daughter was made to stay outside in the full sun yesterday for break and lunch and came home with a migraine which she still had this morning and feels sick.
She is home today and I am keeping safe and cool out of the sun because the school won’t.

Poppinpoppinpopcorn · 25/06/2026 15:07

Suchevilforebodings · 25/06/2026 14:34

Nope, just to do your jobs.

Like we all have to

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And teachers do their jobs by teaching. The clues in the name. They are not there for child care. They are qualified teachers not glorified childminders

Matronic6 · 25/06/2026 15:04

Suchevilforebodings · 25/06/2026 14:34

Nope, just to do your jobs.

Like we all have to

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You do know schools are not closing because teachers are refusing to do their jobs.

Schools need permission from local authority to close. The head and the site manager have to decide if the site can be kept safe and then consult health and safety advice from local authority. Teachers have nothing to do with the decision.

noblegiraffe · 25/06/2026 14:58

Suchevilforebodings · 25/06/2026 14:34

Nope, just to do your jobs.

Like we all have to

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Risk assessment and safeguarding of children is our jobs.

Original poster
Suchevilforebodings · 25/06/2026 14:54

Cheeseandolivesplease · 25/06/2026 14:51

@Suchevilforebodings
I think teachers should do exactly that - their jobs. Literally just their directed paid hours and no more. No more giving up their lunch hours, no running clubs, no preparation, planning or reporting writing outside of those directed hours. No more funding the students from their own pockets with the basic resources such as glue sticks and pencils.
Let's see what that looks like.
They are their own worst enemy for being martyrs and need to put their feet firmly down!
I was a primary teacher for 22 years and left two years ago - enough is enough. My only regret is I didn't walk sooner.

I completely agree!!

OP posts:
Cheeseandolivesplease · 25/06/2026 14:51

@Suchevilforebodings
I think teachers should do exactly that - their jobs. Literally just their directed paid hours and no more. No more giving up their lunch hours, no running clubs, no preparation, planning or reporting writing outside of those directed hours. No more funding the students from their own pockets with the basic resources such as glue sticks and pencils.
Let's see what that looks like.
They are their own worst enemy for being martyrs and need to put their feet firmly down!
I was a primary teacher for 22 years and left two years ago - enough is enough. My only regret is I didn't walk sooner.

Original poster
Suchevilforebodings · 25/06/2026 14:34

user1492809438 · 25/06/2026 10:24

People love to trot out that "school isn't childcare" line when it suits them, don't they?
School is childcare when you're on UC and they decide the hours you must work/look for work because your child is now of school age, or your benefits stop because you'd child is in school now.
School was childcare during COVID when they decided to only let the children of keyworkers into school so their parents could work.
But when you have to go and work in a swelteringly hot, high pressured environment, and the teachers decide they can't handle their swelteringly hot high pressure environment so need a paid day off - school's not childcare! You're on your own.
And the parents, the ones that have to rush around finding childcare, or take the financial hit, are in no way entitled to moan, apparently.
And this is why so many leave teaching.....we're expected to solve everyone else's problems.

Nope, just to do your jobs.

Like we all have to

OP posts: