To feel sorry for Scottish children?

[silver3]

Imagine having to go back to school in this suffocating heat in new blazers and school shoes. I know September can be warm too but, it seems to me, there’s nearly always a heat wave like this in mid-August. My DC have been sleeping in the basement on and off for weeks because their bedrooms are like saunas. Schools don’t always have air-conditioning. AIBU to think Nicola Sturgeon should just push the start of term back to Sept?

But you were ignorant. You made some completely inaccurate statements about the weather in Scotland. You were wrong. It’s embarrassing to be wrong, but it’s not nearly as embarrassing as responding defensively and doubling down when others point out that you’ve made some fundamental errors. Not to mention a corresponding leap to suggesting that Scotland’s school calendar should be altered based on your incorrect assumptions.

Although the “grim up North” stereotype generally refers to the North/South divide in England, rather than an England/Scotland comparison, in this case it doesn’t apply anyway. In fact, it directly contradicts your OP, which was all about the poor Scottish children sweltering in the heat. That might be slightly unpleasant (“grim” might be overstating it), but it’s sheer invention. There’s nothing remotely grim about children going to school in the actual temperatures recorded across Scotland.

I made an inaccurate statement about the weather in Scotland. I apologised for this yesterday. I will apologise again. Would people like a public announcement?

Of course the weather varies and I don’t need this pointed out ad Infinitum. I had just thought Scotland was on the edge of the heatwave “red zone” I had seen on the forecast that was covering most of Western Europe, so I thought they might be experiencing some raised temperatures too. Obviously not.

But I explained all this yesterday. And I apologised.

There has been a definite over-reaction from some on this thread though and some kind of weird defensiveness about anything remotely to do with Scotland that seems to run much deeper than anything to do with the weather. That’s how it comes across anyway.

Haha seriously OP- you think schools should close due to the weather? Maybe workplaces too?

@silver3 - but you got the weather in Brighton very wrong today too. Weird.

The Hell do you think children in hot countries do? Ffs stop being such a snowflake.

The Hell do you think children in hot countries do

Hopefully they're not stupid enough to make them wear blazers and have to ask for permission to take their jumpers off. Most countries don't have school uniform.

And how do you know the OP's age to call her a "snowflake"?

OP I agree there's been a massive overreaction on this thread. It's hot in parts of the UK. It's not so hot in other parts. It's not really hot at all in other parts. You confused what was hot and what wasn't. Can people move on please, it's embarassing.

“Hopefully they're not stupid enough to make them wear blazers and have to ask for permission to take their jumpers off.”

I’ve never heard of schools in Scotland doing that sort of stuff though - not saying it doesn’t happen, but not regularly.

School uniform is generally fairly lax in Scotland, so blazers may well be part of the uniform, but they don’t enforce it until S5, when pupils are there by choice.

Again, I don’t understand your outrage and defensiveness. You were wrong, you admitted it, so why not just leave it there? Attacking other people for your own mistakes is not helping your case here. Though I suppose that strategy works well for certain politicians.

Sorry you’re getting a beating on here, OP. Weather is a very emotional subject for the British, hence the 23 pages of outrage. 😆

@silver3

I don't think some of the unnecessary negativity towards you is adding to the thread or indeed a reflection of many of the other good hearted less super sensitive posters of mums throughout MumsNet located in various parts of the UK and indeed overseas.

This has turned into a surprisingly somewhat mixed topic thread loosely concerning Scottish schools and weather.

You do not necessarily need to make such an announcement or justification as you maybe possibly airing on curiosity and a touch of naivety made an assumption that the whole of the British Isles are under the same current heat wave as say the hottest part in south east England. Scottish people I know and love are generally rightly proud and tough spirited bunch and something some of us seemingly less robust southern softies (as we are sometimes annoying labelled though not true) can respect. Perhaps the weather does indeed shape one's outlook and mindset after all. As a mum of a child south of Scotland I wish the Scottish school children a successful reopening as conscious it will be a massive Covid safety challenge for all involved irrespective of weather. You have less Covid in most parts of Scotland at least compared to us in central London with daily visitors increasing numbers coming in from the rest of the country as well as globally. Though most overseas nations have less Covid than the UK.

Of course the weather varies and I don’t need this pointed out ad Infinitum. I had just thought Scotland was on the edge of the heatwave “red zone”

The general pattern of the climate across the UK has four distinct regions:

south-east – cold winters, warm and dry summers
south-west – mild and very wet winters, warm and wet summers
north-west – mild winter, cool summers and heavy rain all year
north-east – cold winter, cool summers and steady rain all year

Bristish isle climate

Weather is the condition of the atmosphere at a particular place over a short period of time, whereas climate refers to the weather pattern, using statistical data, of a place over a long enough period to yield meaningful averages.
Weather and climate

I think you may have missed that the UK has different climates not just weather.

When I was still teaching I can remember many years where July and August had been sodden then around the 5th September there was a heat wave for a couple of weeks.

@silver3 , if you're ever curious about the weather in Scotland (or any part of the UK come to that), this is the best place to go 😉 www.taps-aff.co.uk

Today's forecast of "pish" is sadly accurate 🙁

Indeed an accurate weather forecast SpinningTheMoon. We've just had a couple of wee downpours and cracks of thunder, and it's got warmer again. Warm being 16C and muggy.

Taps aff

OP, I know we've given you a hard time but my chuckle muscles have had a right workout between this and the "Tiny Man" thread.
Please come back in winter and keep digging with your muckle shovel to clear some of our snaw.
You are welcome any time but don't expect any better weather than the last time you went to Aberdeen and you must try a pizza crunch.
(Wish I had a haggis emoji).

@cologne4711

The Hell do you think children in hot countries do

Hopefully they're not stupid enough to make them wear blazers and have to ask for permission to take their jumpers off. Most countries don't have school uniform.

And how do you know the OP's age to call her a "snowflake"?

OP I agree there's been a massive overreaction on this thread. It's hot in parts of the UK. It's not so hot in other parts. It's not really hot at all in other parts. You confused what was hot and what wasn't. Can people move on please, it's embarassing.

I too haven't heard of Scottish schools doing this either but let's go on the basis that they do. What teacher is going to sit staring at students sweating their balls off and not allow them to take a jumper off/open windows? Strictest teacher is going to have issues if some kid faints because of heatstroke. I await the authoritarian anecdotes of those who were strapped to a boiling radiator on a hot september day, doing their course work while mean old Mrs Fench sat with a desk fan smirking at them sweating in their blazers. 🙄

Snowflake refers to someone who is over emotional/easily offended - among other things. Feeling so sorry for the poor Scottish children going to learn in the 'heat' applies to me. 💁🏼‍♀️

@silver3

“if you are going to start expressing your opinions about a nations food specialties as well as their education policies I fear it will not end well.“

“you must know that you don't take your own stuff there to be cook for God's sake.”

This kind of thing..,

That first quote was from me and was intended to be constructive advice in response to your stating that eating fried mars bars was 'unbelievable..... and the grimmest of the grim....god help the health service'. Which seemed fairly combative given the happy off-topic chatter about fried food.

As this thread limps on, I suspect the real issue is that you believe you can express your opinion on anything, and do so quite rudely, but others should not.

Adios.

There has been a definite over-reaction from some on this thread though and some kind of weird defensiveness about anything remotely to do with Scotland
Considering you started off saying Scotland should change its school system. Then you started on how grim it was mistaking Scotland for the north of England. Then you started on the food and complaning that we were disagreeing with you.and pointing out fundamental errors you made. Pretty obvious why people didn't appreciate your input on our lives I think.

I think the OP is very patronising, like it’s ‘poor Scotland’.

I for one am very proud to be Scottish, we are loved from everyone, not sure about the English though...

And remember " There's nae sic thing as bad weather, jist the wrang claes.

There has been a definite over-reaction from some on this thread though and some kind of weird defensiveness about anything remotely to do with Scotland that seems to run much deeper than anything to do with the weather. That’s how it comes across anyway.

I know. Poor Scotland. We should be grateful for your interest

I think some of the reaction is down to the fact that much of the rest of the UK is considered irrelevant / invisible by those in the south east/London. It happening once is a minor irritant, but when it happens constantly (which it does!) it's more annoying. That applies whether you're Scottish, or in the north, or Wales etc.

I frequently see posters on here stating 'facts' which simply don't apply outside of greater London (e.g. assuming a certain level of transport infrastructure is in place everywhere), then getting huffy when it's pointed out that what they've said doesn't apply to the other 80% of the UK population. In contrast, I very rarely see northern or Scottish posters making sweeping statements which assume their experience is universal.

Outside of greater London, I think people tend to travel between different towns / cities / regions more frequently (partly because they have to). As a consequence they are probably more aware of the differences between the different areas of the UK and less likely to generalise.

The weather forecasters are very London centric. They are broadcasting from London so it's personal. They can feel the heat therefore it applies to the whole country. That's my scientific analysis.