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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think people who are sulking that their DC's school is open have missed the point?

54 replies

DancesWithWoolEnPointe · 21/01/2013 10:14

My FB feed is full of people whinging that their DCs school is open today, that is unfair when other schools are closed, and that people should keep their kids home anyway and "stand together". These are primary schools that have working heating and a suitable adult to child ratio to stay open, so why should they be closed? If you can't get to the school safely that is a different matter, but people who walk 200m along a salted pavement are complaining. Have we not forgotten the point of snow days - schools close if it is unsafe, not because the children deserve a day to play outside. And what about working parents?

Rant over.

OP posts:
Trills · 21/01/2013 10:15

It is a school day.

The school should be open.

The children should go to school and learn stuff.

That's what schools are for.

BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack · 21/01/2013 10:16

I know it is ridiculous isn't it. When I was a kid the only time the schools shut as when the boiler broke down. I understand it is more due to teacher/pupil ratio but even so....it snows and people just assume the schools will be shut.

Our kids are in for a massive shock when they grow up, get into the working world and realise when it snows they still have to go to work. My sons school is open today (thank god) as luckily we seem to have a sensible head master!

ILoveTIFFANY · 21/01/2013 10:17

Fully agree!!

Binkyridesagain · 21/01/2013 10:17

I'm sulking because there isn't enough snow for the school to close, I want to play in it with the kids.

BacardiNCoke · 21/01/2013 10:18

YANBU...but, I was so hoping my dds' school would be shut today. Now I'm hoping they close early. Wink

Sirzy · 21/01/2013 10:18

If schools are open then that is good as it means there isn't enough disruption to mean they have to shut.

SilentSplendidSun · 21/01/2013 10:21

So do they make up for these "snow days" later on in the term? One more extra working day or something? Oh, that will bring out the whingers in full force Grin

Sugarice · 21/01/2013 10:21

Ds2 is well pissed off that schools off today, he has to go in anyway for the geography exam this afternoon and is missing important lessons and revision studies on other subjects which he'll have to make up after school.

It's i right pain in the arse although ds3 is loving it!

CloudsAndTrees · 21/01/2013 10:22

I think you are taking it a little too seriously. People like snow days off with their dc, and it can be a little disappointing when you were hoping for one but didn't get one.

I

Meglet · 21/01/2013 10:23

yanbu. I think I was one of the few happy parents that school was open.

If the teachers have decided they can get there safely then most children can.

I do wonder if some schools are able to take a hit on days off due to snow whereas others who are having problems with attendence would rather shut and avoid the problem of pupils not attending. Don't OFSTED mark schools down for too many absences? (does that make sense?, I'm cold and brain isn't quite working).

manicbmc · 21/01/2013 10:23

We had a whole family of kids back in the 2011 snow that didn't turn up to school for the full 2 weeks. We had about 18 inches of snow but it's a city school, buses were running and most other kids made it in every day.

I really don't want to go to work but such is life.

Kafri · 21/01/2013 10:23

Someone put on my FB this am that their child's school was open but that she couldn't get out the street to take her.

Then 10 minutes later...

Put on FB that it was time she got up as she needed to go to the shops.

Well, the snow cleared quickly!

skratta · 21/01/2013 10:27

I know. DC all aren't going to school today, they go the same school, because the boiler broke down. On Friday, it broke down halfway through, they had to wear coats and gloves and scarves for the rest of the day, to be told that driving conditions meant that there had been two accidents close by, one more a bit further away, but still quite close, buses were cancelled completely, and their parents were walking or attempting to cycle. Thankfully DH works and lives close by so they didn't have to wait long, but if, like most days of the week, he was working further away and for a longer time, they would be in after school club. They walked everyone in that to the local cafe to get something warm, because of the cold.

Horrible day, but I think reasons to stop school. Compared to wanting them to play, but missing a day of education.

Flobbadobs · 21/01/2013 10:31

My FB is full of people moaning that the schools are shut! Thankfully the schools that mine are at are open at the moment, could change though as its coming down hard again.
W had our snow days at the weekend...

TheSmallPrint · 21/01/2013 10:34

I am moaning because ours are both shut and the roads are completely clear. I hate driving in snow so if I'm prepared to do it then the roads really are clear! I have a meeting today so am having to juggle childcare at short notice. This is a village school and the majority of children and staff live here.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 21/01/2013 10:34

YANBU

Our school is shut but I wish it was open!

I need my life back. We were all ill at various times during December, I had DS1 off school for nearly two weeks. Then he went back for a week and then it was Christmas.
Then last Friday off, now today - and Friday this week is a scheduled INSET day.
DH has been off work for 6 weeks (self employed and no work) and is finally back at work today.

I was really looking forward to getting back into my routine. Humph.

Original poster
DancesWithWoolEnPointe · 21/01/2013 10:34

Meglet - you are right. I know the upper schools in particular close if it looks like the kids won't come in anyway, as it send their attendance records through the floor.

OP posts:
freddiefrog · 21/01/2013 10:36

Schools can't win whatever they do.

We had the worst of the snow on Friday and the council updates were full of people moaning that schools were shut because of 'a bit of snow'

Today the updates are full of people moaning because they're all open.

The snow has pretty much gone, the roads are clear, it's currently thawing, why wouldn't they be open?

everlong · 21/01/2013 10:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Flisspaps · 21/01/2013 10:43

They'll be the same people who complained on Friday that the school was shut and they didn't know what to do with their kids all day!

BeanJuice · 21/01/2013 10:43

YANBU, it's annoying

thesnowmanrocks · 21/01/2013 10:44

Totally agree with you. But whats pissed me off is ds school stayed open as alll other schools have been shut. His has stayed open and we went arse over tit as they havent even botherd to grit anywhere. We had a scary dash to pick him up on friday as they stayed open. If we lived round the corner would not be a problem.

Flobbadobs · 21/01/2013 10:47

I've just seen a couple of updates from parents with children at the same school as DS which are making me all stabby, apparently their DC's couldn't get to school because the buses were cancelled. Well yes they were, DS set off from the bus stop with a big group of other students and walked there. I phoned school to check (we're pretty rural and its a long walk). I got through to the pastoral office who told me he had just arrived and had been sent to class with a hot drink after walking 3 miles.
I like his school Smile

EcoLady · 21/01/2013 10:48

I'm a teacher. A day at home with my DCs is lovely but ... this is such a short half term already, losing even one day is messing up our planning. I've got just four Mondays in this half term so was already squeezing a normal 6 session series of lessons into four. Now I've lost another Monday! I'm now replanning the rest of the week, the rest of 1/2 term and next half term to squeeze in what we won't get done today. Big knock-on effects.

MmeGuillotine · 21/01/2013 10:52

Our school was the only one in our bit of Bristol that was open last Friday and although I was initially a bit grouchy about this, I quickly realised that I was being a bit ridiculous as it meant that I could carry on with my work (I work from home) as usual and spend some rare alone time with my husband who had to turn around and come home as he couldn't get into work due to road closures. :)

I used to miss weeks off school when I was growing up as I lived out in the countryside in Aberdeenshire and we had some pretty harsh winters when I was little with week long power cuts and everything. It was ace.