Freezing schools

[Ineedapuppy]

DD8 has cried this afternoon at how cold it is in her classroom with all the doors and windows open. Apparently she’s not allowed a blanket from home and the only response from school is to wear layers under uniform

AIBU to think that this is unkind? At work (large multi National company) staff would NOT work in these freezing conditions. How can it be fair to expect young kids to do it and if so, why make them wear flimsy uniforms?

Some people - and children are people - just feel the cold much more than others. It's not unreasonable to talk to the teacher about how they plan to look after those children.

It's only November. It's going to get a lot colder by January. Forcing small children to be miserable for the sake of looking smart in a school uniform is ridiculous.

YANBU OP.

@moonfacebaby

I’m a lecturer and there’s no way I’m having a freezing cold classroom to teach in. So far my college has been sensible and isn’t forcing us to teach in unacceptable conditions.

We wouldn’t be able to do the work anyway - the subject I teach requires a lot of work with your hands, no opinion of gloves and you just wouldn’t be able to complete the detailed tasks.

I’ll take the risk of covid. If I can go and sit in pubs, theatres, cinemas, and gigs without freezing my arse off, then I’m certainly going to make sure my students aren’t having a shitty educational experience after almost two years of ongoing disruption. They’d be miserable in a freezing classroom.

You sound like a fantastic teacher.

I'm wfh with the heating on and doors closed. Kids are in school in uniform, thermals and tights but not allowed to wear coat or anything else with door and windows open. Sitting down not moving I'd be miserable like that. It's daft. They are all in each other's faces at playtime anyway.

I remember having to wear a coat in classrooms even with the heating supposedly on and windows closed, when I was a child. No matter how you want to argue it, children have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic already and made huge sacrifices to protect others. To ask them to freeze all winter is just not acceptable. If better ventilation is needed then schools and the Government need to find a way to provide that without expecting children to learn while cold.

@OnceuponaRainbow18 it depends on the level of cold, surely? Are we talking about all windows wide open, no heating?

I’m happy to ventilate my classroom with a sensible couple of windows open to keep air flow going. Heating on.

But there’s no way I’d have my 3 hour teaching sessions in around 6-10 degrees and expect them to be comfortable and engaged. As I’ve said, my students need their fine motor skills to draw, cut, sew to a high degree of skill...they will not be able to do that if the cold is affecting their hands.

We have a large, airy studio...it’s about a calculated risk.

It’s fascinating to see how this is interpreted so differently from school to school. I don’t see why anyone should work or learn if it’s very cold, to negate catching a virus that we have got to learn to live with (as unfortunate as that is).

I thought a working environment had to be above 16 degrees, we were all sent home one day as the heating was broken and legally they couldn't keep us there, I wouldn't expect children to sit in those conditions if adults don't have to

@ThousandsOfTulips

I remember having to wear a coat in classrooms even with the heating supposedly on and windows closed, when I was a child. No matter how you want to argue it, children have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic already and made huge sacrifices to protect others. To ask them to freeze all winter is just not acceptable. If better ventilation is needed then schools and the Government need to find a way to provide that without expecting children to learn while cold.

They really have. Completely forgotten about. So many young people have lost out already and aren't aren't allowed to express that because it's expected.

@Lifewith

If better ventilation is needed then schools and the Government need to find a way to provide that without expecting children to learn while cold.

But that isn’t happening so windows open it is

@onceuponaRainbow18
Yes but I'm saying it's not just Windows that are open and you're kinda missing my point, probably deliberately, that kids are expected to suffer.

@Lifewith

The kids aren’t suffering

Crying because of the cold?

Ok, I can't argue with stupid

You obviously haven't worked with young people or children during the pandemic then.

Or maybe you have and are just being obtuse.
Either way, not engaging with stupid comments

@Lifewith

I work with the most vulnerable children you could imagine, they are not suffering because they are cold at school, every other aspect of their life yes but not because the cold. They are happy to be in their safe environment at school being taught and looked after, they are accessing the mental health team, the school nurse, speech and language therapy, regulating emotions workshops, bereavement counselling- all at school. Yes it’s cold they don’t care, they are safe here and loved.

[quote OnceuponaRainbow18]@Lifewith

If better ventilation is needed then schools and the Government need to find a way to provide that without expecting children to learn while cold.

But that isn’t happening so windows open it is[/quote]
That's not good enough. Schools are subject to the same regulations so if it's below 16C then it's not acceptable.

I guess you don't get to decide that.

Sorry that was at onceuponarainbow18

“Although it is generally accepted that people work best at a temperature between 16°C and 24°C, there are no specific legal maximum working temperatures for schools or offices”.

There is no legal conditions for temperatures, just advisory.

Of course they bloody care. You can't say just because they feel safe it doesn't matter they are freezing. Stupid thing to say.
And you don't get to decide that anyway

What a ridiculous comment @OnceuponaRainbow18. Because they’re in a ‘safe ‘ environment, they don’t care about being cold!! Being warm is important, stop dismissing it.

Trust me, the kids I work with aren’t bothered, their houses are more than likely to be cold as well.

In the grand scheme of things cold when you’ve got the chance to wrap up warmer is really not that big an issue.

Their homes are cold so it’s fine to be cold all day at school!! Not sure why you seem to be speaking for all children either.

Reading these last few posts makes me glad the windows don’t open at the school

I really feel for dc though, especially as it’s about to get colder

@motherrunner

“Although it is generally accepted that people work best at a temperature between 16°C and 24°C, there are no specific legal maximum working temperatures for schools or offices”.

There is no legal conditions for temperatures, just advisory.

www.hse.gov.uk/temperature/law.htm

"These temperatures are not absolute legal requirements; the employer has a duty to determine what reasonable comfort will be in the particular circumstances."

I'm not sure anybody could successfully argue that open doors and windows in winter would result in "reasonable comfort in the particular circumstances", particularly if children are coming home crying from being so freezing all day.

I'd love to see the assessments dine by schools that show that this meets the required threshold. I bet they do not exist.

@OnceuponaRainbow18

Trust me, the kids I work with aren’t bothered, their houses are more than likely to be cold as well.

In the grand scheme of things cold when you’ve got the chance to wrap up warmer is really not that big an issue.

Well it is an issue and it's an important one. And it's a right children should have. Stop dismissing it

Here I don’t think he’s the type to lie. He could have easily omitted including myself part,

He’s very careful with wording and has been through out.

Chris Whitty said:

“There is quite a strong view by many people, including myself actually, that going in the summer has some advantages, all other things being equal, to opening up into the autumn when schools are going back and when we’re heading into the winter period when the NHS tends to be under greatest pressure for many other reasons,” he added.