To think 'snow days' are pathetic

[Toddlerteaplease]

I understand if you live very rurally and genuinely can't get out. But snow in cities is rarely that bad. NHS staff don't take days off for a bit of snow. Last time we had severe snow. Not one person on my entire unit missed work. Even though schools were closed.

My school used to close for quite minor snow because a lot of the kids came miles on trains and buses, which wouldn't run. So, even with very little snow, less than half the school could have made it in.

I grew up with proper winters and snow and cold was no excuse. So the closing of schools because of - 1 and a quarter of inch of snow does make me giggle a bit.

I think keep safe.

It’s nothing new though? I have memories of primary school in the 1980s, listening to the local radio to hear if our school was closed

It's also not just our country that shuts down! I was in New York during a blizzard one year. They imposed a travel ban that no one was allowed on the roads after 9pm, that was eerie! But it ended up turning into a bit of a joke because it wasn't that bad in the end. They had grounded flights, shut everything down. Basically turned the city upside down for a few inches of snow. So it doesn't just happen here.

I grew up with proper winters and snow and cold was no excuse. So the closing of schools because of - 1 and a quarter of inch of snow does make me giggle a bit.

I’m assuming this was before mobile phones and the internet too, so if the school closed it would be a pain in the arse to let everyone know.
It’s not that people were more robust it was just harder to co ordinate.
Also most schools can put work on the internet for pupils to do so it’s not such a big deal.
I think the more people safe at home the better.

It’s nothing new though? I have memories of primary school in the 1980s, listening to the local radio to hear if our school was closed

Yes and sometimes it wouldn’t have been on yet before we left for school and my mum would walk us up on her way to the bus to work and have to trudge back home with us!

Still have the "Radio Leicester, snow desk" jingle in my head!

My kids school is open as transport is running. You should see the vitriol from parents on the WhatsApp group who think it’s endangering the children’s lives. There is about 2 cm of snow and most roads are clear.
When snow is v thick and heavy I get it, was pretty bad last year and I hate driving in snow after a few bad skidding experiences but most places can be reached by public transport.
I don’t work on Fridays but if I did I would have gone in by bus.

Rose tinted glasses have a lot to answer for. Schools closed in the snow when I was there and I left secondary in 1979!

All our schools are closed today and that's fine. I can hear traffic on the main road but I can't get my car off the estate, the same as everyone else. I would never expect anyone to do a journey that I wouldn't be willing to do myself.

but most places can be reached by public transport

That would be true except it's all cancelled!!

Ours is open, there was a message this morning to send them in non uniform, with a towel and extra clothes so they can play out 😁

Maybe most of the staff live rurally and there wasn’t enough supply staff available to open? A lot of people commute into cities you know.

Travelling in poor weather conditions is dangerous.

That risk is worth it if the alternative is people dying. It's not worth it if the only consequence is kids missing out on lessons for a couple of days.

It's hardly a modern phenomenon.

It's fucking ridiculous. We get three feet of snow here and it's been -35 and the kids are all still going to school. Maybe a delayed start by an hour to get the roads clear.

Nhs staff here. Last winter a co worker of mine walked in when we had the bad snow. She Slipped up on her way and hurt her back so badly she was off work for 4 months. So...🤷🏻‍♀️

I walk in snow and ice every day for about 4 months of the year. Are you saying people shouldn't walk in snow?

Oldest dd school is in another town and school buses are used. Hers was one of last to close and it was because there was not enough available staff to look after over 1700 kids. Schools are in towns but lots of people round here live in the surrounding villages.

Even if it had opened I couldn't have got her there as the school buses for this area were cancelled. Quite relieved as a bad accident on main road involved cars skidding on ice right next to where the girls would have been waiting for their bus.

School I work in if had been open I could have walked in about an hour - I did last year as we live on a steep hill which you can't get up or down on by car once it's iced over. However as my 2 youngest were off schools due to closures I wouldn't have been able to go in due to childcare - we are allowed to take our kids in if necessary but again I don't mind risking the walk but I don't want to subject the kids too it. It's not about them being cold - they can wrap up it's the idiot drivers going to fast for the conditions and skidding off the roads.

Victorian schools never closed in the snow because they only employed single, childless women - perhaps if we go back to that idea then schools can open 24/7.

The teachers for the state schools in my quite affluent area of london can't afford to live near the school so have longer journeys than the pupils. Roads are less accessible early and if their children's schools are closed they also have child care problems. Plus all the requirements to ensure the grounds and entries are acccessible makes life quite difficult.

I personally think it's having to open schools early in the morning that is the problem. So heads are forced to make a very early decision about whether they will have sufficient teachers available to start the day.

But generally if we are not talking schools and childcare and rural areas people in cities who choose a duvet day are taking the piss!

We had the snow a couple of days ago. The schools are open but pavements are treacherous. Directly opposite the junior school today the road was blocked by an ambulance attending to a school mum who had fallen badly, I assume on the ice.

How many of the moaning parents would be quick to sue a school if their sprog slipped on the ice and broke a bit?

To an extent society is responsible for the ridiculous caution, a school is held to be in loco parentis when in reality they are expected to have far more careful. We often read about tragic accidents happening to children and everyone is sympathetic to the parents, had the exact same thing happened in school it would be carelessness, a court case and a nice payout for 'neglect'.

As far as snow goes, when I was still teaching we had a few inches of snow, I couldn't get out of our road, there was an incline where it met the main road. Using public transport, if it was running, would have got me there for midday. Residents asked the council for some road salt and they would ensure that the incine was kept clear, they were refused!

It's fucking ridiculous. We get three feet of snow here and it's been -35 and the kids are all still going to school. Maybe a delayed start by an hour to get the roads clear.

And where do you saintly people live? You do realise that stupid Monty Pythionesque comments are irrelevant don't you?

That's the downside to people having to commute into their jobs. I'm zone 1, a lot of teachers/school staff cannot afford the rent and live out of London. So although there is no snow here now, Greater London and outside might not be clear. Driving in isn't possible as there is no way to guarantee a parking space. And if the trains have been cancelled how do you expect them to get it?

Personally, I love snow days. As a kid they were awesome. Loads of snow to play with. Snowball fights, snowmen, igloos etc. Still enjoy playing in the snow, but I'm a big kid.

Grown adults are perfectly capable of doing their own risk assessment and deciding whether it’s a good idea/safe to go into work or not, for God’s sake.

I feel I have the relevant experience to comment on this one as I grew up in London and 4 years ago moved to rural Sweden. The last few days have been particularly cold, yesterday morning was -27 but yes the schools were still open and kids (11) left at 7.05 to catch the bus school. We have had loads more snow this week and we have had to hire a slow plough to come and dig us (house and driveway to park) out twice in 8 days which is a bit unusual.

The thing snow is expected. It started snowing in November and there may be a thaw where it will go icy but I prorbaly won't see Swedish grass and soil until after Easter. Everyone is geared up for snow here. Tyres (to studded winter tyres) have to be changed over legally by the end of October snow or not. Last year it began snowing on Saturday night around 9 pm and snow ploughs were out all night. People are on stand by to be called out.

Children have wear proper snow clothes. Have proper winter/water proof footwear. There was a student on here yesterday saying she had no boots and only canvas shoes.

It used to make my DH laugh about the chaos a centimetre of snow would cause in London but I thought and still do think he was being unfair. I wouldn't buy full (expensive and bulky) snow wear for two kids if I thought it may snow for three days a year. Storing winter tyres is a pain but not something that is needed in the UK. Gritting roads and snow ploughs are expensive to buy, operate and house for over stretched councils.

As nice as it is to see photographs of UK kids with make shift sledges, the snow does make people nervous if you are not used to it. I have several pairs of spikes for shoes but had never seen them in London. Everyone over here is used to driving in the snow but last year my DH went off the road whilst driving the kids to school - no one was hurt but he had to be towed back up onto the road. It does happen.

The two places are not comparable. And if does happen here three weeks ago there was an official storm warning and the school closed for the day and the time or happened before trees were blown onto the roads.