Should schools shut for Good Friday/ Easter Monday?

[ringletsandtwiglets]

Curious what the general public think about this. Schools are being asked for staff volunteers to provide childcare over the bank holidays.

YABU- no, schools should stay open for keyworkers and/or vulnerable children

YANBU- yes, schools should be closed entirely on those days

Quite a few of our staff are self isolating, which makes it hard to do a rota. It’s not even about the money, a lot of us are worried sick about catching something and being around so many children. I’m tired, my colleagues are tired and I’m not working weekends and bank holidays despite the constant emotional blackmail. The NHS staff are hailed as Saints (which is fair) but teachers are labelled the scum of the earth.

Don't worry Bulb - it is often the case. They are all envious of our 8.45 to 3.30 job with super long holidays and are so keep to join us that the universities are swamped with applications for teaching courses

But the real problem is that we are an expensive country to live in. The expectation is that both parents work but childcare is expensive. Grandparents don't necessarily want to provide support or cant provide support. Childcare facilities are pricey.

@Bulb1976 Ugh nobody considers teachers scum of the earth, but seriously? Stop moaning and step TF up. Nobody likes this. Weekends and holidays are cancelled. They no longer exist. The sooner you catch up the better. Teachers are able to provide valuable childcare to enable NHS/other key staff to get into work.

This is so disappointing to read.

If anybody is labelling teachers (and TAs and other school staff) as scum of the earth then they are being pathetically ridiculously.
I thought teachers were working on a rota? Some teachers I know of (primary) are not working now but then will work a week at Easter instead so they are still getting some holiday now instead of when they would have got it.

Teachers are able to provide valuable childcare to enable NHS/other key staff to get into work

And will be duly unrewarded when all this over. Or, having set a precedent for unpaid work, broken their conditions of service, be required to continue doing it.

" nobody considers teachers scum of the earth, but seriously? Stop moaning and step TF up."

This

And if teachers don't stop moaning about extra money and holidays in this crisis
they really will be giving their profession a terrible reputation

It will be remembered after this is all over,
who stepped up and went beyond, vs who kept moaning and refused to do what was asked of them^

Because of lack of childcare, NHS staff are having to stay home instead of treating patients

• this will cost lives later^

So many dead doctors in Italy, France, Spain

Just think of the risks NHS staff are having to take,
that they didn't sign up for either, often without enough protective kit

I think it depends if you want doctors, nurses and carers to look after their patients on bank holidays and weekends or to spend the long weekend looking after their kids.

Mu husband is a teacher and he will do his share of the rota whatever day it falls on - same for me as a carer. We will have to make sure our work commitments fit around each other as, like many people, we can no longer rely on grandparent care for our kids.

And will be duly unrewarded when all this over. Or, having set a precedent for unpaid work, broken their conditions of service, be required to continue doing it.

This

Can anyone show me any facts that suggest that doctors and nurses are now working 7 days a week and that this will continue for the foreseeable future?

@echt "And will be duly unrewarded when all this over. Or, having set a precedent for unpaid work, broken their conditions of service, be required to continue doing it."

Oh my god. Won't we all? People need to stop thinking about themselves. Who is thinking about overtime and days off right now? Teachers really are not showing themselves in a good light.

Are you aware that under NHS T&Cs staff are entitled to 6 months full pay if they're sick? There is basically nothing stopping the entire workforce developing a 'bad back' and going off sick, apart from their morals. If that happens this will never be all over. What use is a weekend if you're dead?

Brain trust we teachers are also entitled to six months sick pay.

We aren’t your slaves, we have our own families to consider.

Teachers really are not showing themselves in a good light.

Oh did I forget to say, I of course speak for the entire teaching profession

YABU. Of course schools should be open on those days; the hospitals don’t close so why should they?

Good Friday and Easter Monday are just days like any other; there’s nothing special about them and you can’t go out to celebrate anyway.

Hospitals staff don’t work seven days a week, do they.
Not to mention those children you chose to bring into the world need a rest too.

Bulb1976 Tue 24-Mar-20 15:47:06
"an anyone show me any facts that suggest that doctors and nurses are now working 7 days a week and that this will continue for the foreseeable future?"

Have you been asked to do seven days? My husbands school are on a rota with the staff doing a day each (unless they are high risk) and the head and deputy going in every day.

We have so many staff missing, I’m doing way more than I should but I need to draw the line somewhere.

NHS staff are doing vital work. Somebody said medics are dying on the frontline. They all get PPE. where are school staffs PPE when looking after these children that are quite probably carriers themselves.
Doesn't matter though does it- only a teacher.
And also the teaching profession steps up all year round for children in this country. Dragging them through their exams, supporting them emotionally when parents might be too busy. So whoever said people won't forget who stepped up as a professional and who didn't, well this is always the case anyway

Are you working a seven day week bulb? Are you expected in school every day? All the schools I know that are open are using teachers and support staff on a rota, so that each are covering a couple of days in school, the rest of the time working from home. The people doing most days are the HT and DSG, naturally.

We are open on those days and we may also be open weekends too.

If I work this weekend as well that would make it seven days. I just don’t have the energy

My children's secondary school has just had to issue a request that people do not send their children in if
-there is another adult in the house, even if they are working from home

• they are a key worker but not working that day

They think it would be better for their child educationally to be at school but they could be at home

I’m a teacher. We are on a rota. I volunteered to work Easter and would work Good Friday and Easter Monday.

I’m shitting myself. But someone has to enable key workers to be able to go to work.

@Bulb76 "Can anyone show me any facts that suggest that doctors and nurses are now working 7 days a week and that this will continue for the foreseeable future?"

Yes?? Not the same doctors and nurses each of the 7 days but routinely the NHS is a 7 day service. Who do you think staffs it? Presumably you won't have the same children in 7 days a week but if parents of child A are working a Saturday the child needs to go somewhere.

Also "ashmts Shut your idiotic mouth. I’m not childcare!!!" lmao. How rude. Obviously not usually but right now that's all the schools are open for. It was not meant to be disparaging, merely factual.