School closure for a funeral?

[saywhaaaaat]

Name changed - there is likely to be someone who knows me or the place I am refering to!

So, DC is back at school. A letter arrives on Monday from the head teacher informing of the sad passing of a teacher who had worked at the school for some time (20+ years). The letter also informs us that the school will be clsoed on the day of the funeral to allow all staff to attend. I thought this was a bit odd (as a public sector worker I have never encountered this type of response to a funeral) and hoped the funeral would take place on a Saturday.

Today another letter arrives. The entire school (400 odd children) is to be closed for an entire day next week.

In my experience it is usually more than acceptable for one or two people to represent the work place at funeral. I can't imagine many places where it would be acceptable to close an entire service for an entire day for a funeral.

This is bugging me but happy to accept that I am a mean so and so that has no heart etc....

So hit me. AIBU?

This is where secondary school children deaths happen. Its heart breaking. I suppose with inclusion that there will be more death in mainstream.

www.disabilitynow.org.uk/article/matters-life-and-death-school

We are lucky that in our small, close knit school community we have not yet had to deal with the death of a child or colleague. We have had 2 or 3 parents that have died. One this year that had been long anticipated. The family had been part of our school for 8 years or so. All our staff turned out on a Saturday evening to attend his memorial concert. We all wanted to be there. It was important that the children knew we cared and how much we respected their dad.
Schools are very strong commnities. The same people are there day in and day out. You see each other through all the crap and all the successes.
I would hope that our parents would understand if we did the same in this situation.

We have had two members of staff pass recently from our school, both within two weeks of each other.
To enable staff to attend for the first funeral, newer members of staff who didn't really know the person,took the children in big groups whilst other members attended.
The second funeral caused the school to be closed for the afternoon.
Seeing a whole staff dressed in black,dismissing the children at 1.30 by the parents,hit home for the parents. There were no complaints. We were devastated, as were most if the parents.
The families of both people were most grateful and surprised by how many people wanted to pay respects to their daughter/wife/grandmother/aunt/sister. Respect is the word.

Ooops, forgot Mum. They were both mums.x

Reallytired, 3 of our students (siblings) died recently. The students and teachers were deeply upset at their deaths, and the horrific circumstances under which they happened.

I thought the school handled it well, Their photographs were displayed, the event was acknowledged openly at assembly, and there was a special assembly and a minute's silence for the children.

I think that is more appropriate than closing a school for the day.

...there was also a condolences book.

I do think the situation is different with a teacher and a student. And I think it is different depending on school size too.

I've worked as a teacher in secondary and experienced student deaths. At neither time did school close. Staff who wanted to attend their funerals were able to go with cover in place. Special assemblies took place and there was a memorial etc.

At the secondary a teacher died. It was a secondary school so bigger and I didn't know him. The school remained open with a memorial assembly but again those who knew the teacher and wanted to go to the funeral did so with cover in place.

But dd's school was small and her teacher a well known man who worked not only in dd's class but also did work in infants and juniors and even preschool at times. As said before small school and close community. They had the acknowledgement and memorial assemblies, condolences book and other events during the year too. But closing for his funeral was necessary as all the staff knew him well and wished to attend his funeral including the head teacher.

Haven't read all the comments. As a teacher, I'd say YABU. If the head, their deputies and other members of senior leadership all want to attend the funeral - and why wouldn't they, given that they have known this teacher for 20 years- then the school can't remain open as there is no management team.

Teachers are entitled to ask for compassionate leave for a funeral. It is likely that everyone who asks will be granted a day's leave given that the head and governors also personally know the deceased. If teachers all want to go, which they probably will since they have known their colleague for years, then there will be no teachers to teach the lessons, in addition to there being no management team. The issue here is the inconvenience you perceive in so many people wanted to have a day's compassionate leave all at once, resulting in the school needing to close.

Do you really expect upset teachers to miss a funeral of a very old friend and colleague, and continue to cheerfully teach lessons like the death never happened? I'm sure the teacher would have tried to have died in the holidays, if they'd known how much inconvenience their death would cause others

PS you also say it is acceptable for one or two people to go and 'represent the workplace'. Your view is that people attending aren't mourning for personal reasons, they are just going to show their faces on behalf of the school. I suspect that is why you can't get your head around the fact that so many people want to go: they have a personal connection to the deceased and want to meet his other relatives and friends and be part of the service. They can't do that in a classroom. Funerals only happen once...

I understand that people want to mourn, but I don't think it's appropriate for a whiole institution to close in order for that to happen. A memorial assembly at the school for staff and students would be more appropriate.

You are being VVVVV unreasonable. And a completely heartless. When my MIL died they did the same thing. To think people might have complained about this.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned memorial services. When there's a major community figure who a lot of people wish to mourn, it's more usual to have the family funeral and then the memorial service for everyone to attend some weeks later (& when timings etc can be more planned)

What if some of the children didn't want to attend the memorial service in school time? Presumably the same people who resent teachers getting to go to the funeral on school time would also be pissy about the children wasting lesson time remembering a dead teacher? Or would you not mind as long as the childcare was in place?

I guess it's more straightforward when the person who has died is well liked but What if the person was not liked......what if they were positively disliked.

I think it probably depends on the size of the school and the standing of the teacher. If they were a specialist they will have been known to more of the children.

And as one poster pointed out, it can be an opportunity for children to know about funerals, in many cases before they ever go to one of a close relative.

The OP sadly reminds me of people being upset at being delayed when trains don't run after a suicide on the track.

My mum taught in a school in a smallish town with one primary school. It was a nightmare to go into town with her as a quick pop to the supermarket would take no less than 30-40 mins as all the students past and present wanted to tell her what they were up to and share their news. It was a pain but also lovely to see she was so loved as a teacher.

As I said she was the SENCO at the school for nearly 15 years so dealt with all teachers, managed a team of 17+ LSA's and knew a lot of the students.

Was on the PTA and helped at every school event so parents knew her well.

We did plan the memorial service for the afternoon of the family funeral as neither my sister, myself or grandmother lived locally so to go back again would have not been the best option. It was picked for mid afternoon so school only had to close after lunch. This was in discussion with the deputy who was a good family friend as well.

Guess we annoyed/inconvenienced a lot of people - but the 250+ who turned up seemed to want to show thier respects and almost all staff attended.