Closing a school of 700+ for polling day

[Mosschopz]

Who decides this? My DC’s school will close to all pupils on the 12th. That’s a three form entry school, closed, as they have been every single polling day for the last umpteen years, so they can stick a few plywood booths in a room for the day. The head has complained to the council who have declined to change the location as the school is the most central to the ward. AIBU to think that’s incredibly poor decision making?

It pisses me right off! Oh education is so important blah blah, you can’t take your child out of school without a massive rigmarole, but we can just shut it down so you lose a days work/holiday. Our (also large0` primary school is surrounded by churches, halls, public spaces galore and they still shut the school. I hate the expectation that hey it’s fine, obviously there’s a SAHM or granny on hand so it’s not an issue.

We do pay schools Fossie, but not obliged to. Portakabins are sometimes used but they can cost around 8k to hire, power and get portaloos. And all that is charged back to the government...the tax payer. This election will cost millions. More than usual due to the time of year.

The schools we use don't shut for polling day. We'd do anything to avoid that. Always open to new venues. We use a lot of pubs- people like working them because they can order food and drinks all day. No one wants the draughty scout hut!

All those arguing all are off so they haven't missed anything as no learning is done are missing the point!

You have a plan that day that forms part of a medium term plan and you plan to introduce a topic to a class of 30 students. They are all off - so when do you do it? The day after? Fantastic. So what happens to the stuff you would teach the day after etc. It DOES have an effect. It'll always have an effect if a student is off.

The point I'm making is the government themselves spend an inordinate amount of time making parents feel guilty for their child being off and how their gcse results will be sorely affected - but they don't apply the same rules when they themselves shut the establishments.
And as others have said. There are often buildings locally that can be used as an alternative.

It's the teachers I most feel sorry for.

We vote in two portacabins in a library car pArk and have for years, there is no need to close schools

I live in an area (of England) where the County Council decided that they don't use schools at all, ever, as polling stations. They use churches, scout huts, village halls etc. instead. An LEA school has no choice if the council decides to use it (they can't refuse), but it seems that there are other options if a council chooses them.

Councils have to review polling districts and polling stations every 5 years, and have a public consultation, so you can at least try to get it changed.

My children's infant school used to be used as a polling station and a campaign by parents eventually managed to get it moved. The LA put forward objections to the change, like the alternative not being in the same polling district, or too far away, but I suspect their real objection was that they didn't have to pay the school, whereas they would have to pay an independent venue. It also helped that most of the parents lived in a (different) polling district where the polling station was in the council offices, in a different polling district, and two miles from the furthest voter, but much closer than that to the school and had plenty of room to run polls for several different districts.

My local polling station was a school, until we had the year of multiple elections and they couldn't do one of them because the kids wouldn't be in school the statutory number of days. So it was moved to a scout hut and has stayed there ever since! Makes far more sense.

@Considermesometimes In terms of education lost for the day most schools will be glittering cards and watching christmas films by that point.

You haven't got a clue have you, schools are not like that any more.

An awful lot of what at first glance seem like viable alternatives are not actually accessible though. And accessibility isn't just about whether there's a ramp. The community hall in my village has a ramp, but the doors aren't wide enough to fit a wheelchair through. It is always that simple.

www.change.org/p/house-of-commons-stop-using-schools-for-polling-stations?recruiter=31354978&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_term=psf_combo_share_initial&recruited_by_id=31037640-f795-012f-7376-00221968d0e0&utm_content=starter_fb_share_content_en-gb%3Av13

Looks like someone else agrees with you. I just saw this on FB.

I wonder how people in wheelchairs manage here, there are steps up to the portacabins, they must have a temporary ramp.

Our school stays open. School Hall does have an external door though.

I used to vote in a Village Hall. Because of where the ward boundaries were my neighbours over the road voted at the School. the two buildings are about 100m apart. The Hall has parking, the school (which stays open) has one visitor space. When the ward boundary changed so we were all together they chose to use the school as the only polling station. It makes no sense.

Schools are some of the places used in Spain, but polling for elections is always on a Sunday.

Come to think of it I think people park at the Hall when they go to vote at the School and I don't think there are any accessibility issues at the Hall

Our local school once used to be the polling station and they used to manage to keep the school open as usual
Times change and for some reason this is no longer possible so they use the local pub

Give your head a wobble

Nice! our local polling station is a demountable in the car park of the local park. It's not complicated, requires zero disruption and is perfectly accessible, being in a car park.

I don't think that it's necessary to disrupt the lives of 700 families in order to do what's always been done, instead of thinking a little more practically.

There are plenty of alternative buildings that can be used in most cases. It is disruptive. All the parents who suddenly have to find childcare or use leave must be fed up when there is probably a community hall round the corner. Promise I’m not bitter as my primary school was never a polling station 😂!

My polling station is in a pub. Good incentive to vote, and the pub is probably happy as they get extra customers on a weekday.

I've moved locations 13 times in 41 years and never seen a school used as a polling station! How ridiculous. Community centres, town and village halls, church halls, libraries...all much better locations. YANBU OP

We use village halls and older buildings usually used for clubs and social events. In town a church hall used for a nursery is used which inconveniences parents. But that's about it, schools are last resorts.

Churches may not be available this time of year due to proximity to Christmas. Obviously they aren’t council buildings so the council can only request they be used (most will agree as they get a small fee and want to support the community), however I know our church had to say no as we had a homeless lunch planned that day with loads of volunteers and guests already invited.

They use church halls but actual religious venues put some people off voting so it needs to be somewhere neutral. Our school changed access so external people can reach the hall without gaining full access to the school so it's a polling station but kids can still go too.

It's a nightmare due to early dark nights and the villages round here. The council is spending loads on lights and generators. Also some venues have said no as village halls are hosting pantos etc which make money.

I'm not sure it's convenient for anyone and many people have to work over night on election night. I think we'll all be glad to get it over with.

I've always wondered why it can't be done on a weekend. Possibly a cost issue as all staff working would be out of hours?

I've worked a couple of polling stations and you really don't quite realise just how many people there are in an area until you see the lists. There's just no way of combining some stations without causing mayhem.

My kids school is closed but the main hall is used and there isn't a way around it.

@thatmustbenigelwiththebrie Schools have different layouts though. Some schools have a room or hall that can be accessed from outside and can be shut without affecting the whole school. Others have the hall as a hub with it being essential to go through the hall to get from one place to another and so can't be used as polling stations without shutting the school.

And other schools have layouts where, once you're inside the gates (which would have to be left open all day for voter access), it's possible to wander off and access all the classrooms, playground and buildings. With the cost of securing schools, where there was never a thought of creating a single point of entry to reduce risk (until Dunblane and a bloke with a sword/machete, most had gates that were left unlocked all day), it wasn't feasible or affordable for many to do more than add an intercom to a security gate.

It might sound ridiculous, but where there are several parents in every larger school who are not to have contact with their children due to domestic abuse, neglect, risk of abduction or because the kids are now in care, can you imagine how useful it would be to them to be able to stroll in through open gates under the guise of being a voter? Or somebody with an interest in children in changing rooms/wearing PE kit/going to music lessons where they wouldn't be missed for up to two lessons? Paedophiles have a right to vote at their local polling station, too.