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?

@silver3

And yes, to the pp who asked, I have been to Aberdeen once and I have to say it was sheet rain for three days solid. I went to the Highlands and could barely see two metres in the bloody fog. And by Edinburgh castle my DD was blown over in a freezing gale.

But they doesn’t mean I should presume that Scotland has permanently shit weather does it? I was just unlucky those times.

I think Scotland's climate is generally cool and wet with obviouly some good days.

It use to be said you could walk north following spring up the UK - I don't know if that's still true with climate change. The bigger the distance and the further north later spring weather and thus spirng flowers were coming.

40 years ago Dad used to remember dropping off a older sibling slightly futher south and them having spring two weeks earlier than where they lived.

I love summer in Scotland its my favourite day of the year! (Billy Connolly)

OP you have made me chuckle by starting a thread without checking the weather. But you were only trying to empathise. I have before now thought schools in England should have the same term dates as Scotland for the same reason, as my experience is that it is usually roasting in July in the south and cooler in August (present weather excepting). It's really shit particularly for teachers as schools are like a furnace. I believe term dates relate to historic farming and related child labour which could surely be reviewed now.

Off topic a bit are Scottish schools going back slightly earlier this year? My Cousin lives in Scotland ,and normally there only seems to be a couple of weeks difference between her kids summer holidays and my kids ?

I'm in south lanarkshire; we are expecting rain and thunderstorms this week.

We did have a very hot weekend just there, but our weather is mostly mild with rain. Our nice days and very nice but not often suffocating heat.

When it's a hot day, kids at schools here usually wear their school shorts and shirt sleeves shirts or polo shirts. No blazers or jumpers.

School in August really isnt a bad thing.

I feel sorry for you OP, i remember what London was like in a heatwave, mmm the smell of hot rubbish bins, the stifling public transport...
I save a lot of money on not having to buy a summer wardrobe too, i basically wear jeans and varying thicknesses of knitwear all year round.

OP you need to learn the weather term 'dreich'

I moved down to central England from Scotland a few years ago and I can't bear how hot it gets down here. I keep looking at the forecast in Edinburgh just to torment myself. 15 degrees the other day, while it was 30 here... . I feel nothing but envy for the Scottish school children!

London to Glasgow is 420 miles. London to Paris is 283 miles.

Yes, some areas are losing a week or might even be a little bit more of their summer holidays as there's variation between areas.

We're in Glasgow though and our term dates have stayed broadly the same.

x2boys we are back a week early this year.

@silver3

And yes, to the pp who asked, I have been to Aberdeen once and I have to say it was sheet rain for three days solid. I went to the Highlands and could barely see two metres in the bloody fog. And by Edinburgh castle my DD was blown over in a freezing gale.

But they doesn’t mean I should presume that Scotland has permanently shit weather does it? I was just unlucky those times.

You weren't unlucky, you were in Scotland. More to the point, if you go on a trip somewhere dont you Google to get a general idea of the weather?

It’s so cute, they wear short sleeves and shorts and trainers. Ankle socks. It’s fine!

If you're struggling with the heat, get air conditioning.
I have it, and as my post above suggests, we barely ever need it but on the few weeks a year we get very hot weather, it's good to have.

You've obviously never been to Scotland in August OP 🥶

This is classic Londoncentricity

No, I am in London, I have the common sense, basic education and powers of observation watching the weather reports to notice that weather is a localised phenomenon.

I see also that the OP assumed that all kids have private school term dates like hers.

Please do not tar all Londoners with the same brush!!

I believe term dates relate to historic farming and related child labour which could surely be reviewed now.

They keep talking about doing this - latest thing is them again looking at changing A-level results and Uni start dates -so people apply with their actual results.

@x2boys

Off topic a bit are Scottish schools going back slightly earlier this year? My Cousin lives in Scotland ,and normally there only seems to be a couple of weeks difference between her kids summer holidays and my kids ?

Some are going back a week or so earlier

We had fire on last week when up in Scotland! We live in Cumbria and it can be completely different weather to down south.

To be fair, it is sometimes quite nice in August - late August that is, the school holidays are a bloody jinx!

I'm doubting myself now, but I'm sure we're pretty much going back on the date set out prior to COVID. Maybe a day or so early. Some schools will be going back a week or so earlier than originally planned, because the councils tend to have differing dates most years anyway.

Brilliant thread .

I’m a teacher and the hot weather is normally July not August! I’ve been in school in 39 degree heat and then we break up and down comes the rain!

Love that you think Scotland gets the same weather as us though - my Scottish friends will enjoy this hugely .

@x2boys

My kids should have started back tomorrow, which would be the usual start of term. But because of Covid, the school had been set up for 50% class sizes and now they've been told all kids back full time so today and tomorrow they are putting it back to how it was, then on Wednesday the new primary 1 children will go in alone to be shown the school and how one way l system and split playgrounds will work, then thursday will be P1, P2 and P3 and Friday will be for P4, P5, P6 and P7.
The kids will all be back full time from next monday. So we're actually going back a week later than normal here.

30 degrees not 39!

It is too hot but then again it can be too hot in June or July too. They should be allowed to take the blazers off surely.