Schools closed for the Queen’s funeral

[Notme1980]

First off, Queen Elizabeth II was an amazing ruler and an inspiration, we are a forces family and my husband has served her for 30 plus years.

but - I do not want the schools to be closed for her funeral (or for any reason at all), I want us to do what I believe she would have done, press on.

I'm not a royalist in the least but I understand a lot of people will want to take the day to mark respect etc. I also think there's a collective sense of sadness and change that kids will pick up on, families being reminded of their own losses and grief etc and maybe starting to question death and loss if they haven't experienced it before. So maybe good for them to be in a more relaxed environment for the day. They can watch a part of history, have space to process their feelings and ask questions they need to ask? Nightmare in terms of childcare if your employer isn't closing but a lot probably will.

It'd be nice to acknowledge that not everyone gets an extra paid day off work here, and not everyone can arrange childcare at the drop of a hat.

I am self-employed and now after scraping through 7 weeks of school holidays it's another day I can't work. And I don't get paid if I don't work.

It's also understandable. I don't think it shouldn't be a bank holiday, but a short notice bank holiday can be legitimately stressful for a number of reasons.

It's nauseating how candid people are about how disruptive all of this is to regular normal people who actually have to work or need to attend appointments/have surgeries etc. All the hidden vulnerable people.this bank.holiday will impact. Life for many has to carry on because their trauma or need can't just stop. It's ironic because the UK will be forced to stop for a woman who received the best of everything whilst others will continue to struggle and for many because of the BH will be impacted. The blatant inequality does make me angry.

Some of our schools are closed anyway that day for the September holiday (Scotland). What happens in this case? I wonder if it'll be added into leave to take whenever? Just curious - not complaining either way.

You chose to be self employed. You chose to have children. I chose to be a teacher. Who feels sorry for me when I leave my kids for a week to go on a residential, or has to struggle for childcare when it's parents evening or I'm presenting to governors or have to spend evenings and weekends working. No one. And rightly so.

I'm tired of feeling guilty and responsible for every child's hunger, lack of money and the impact of covid.

I'm tired of feeling guilty and responsible for every child's hunger, lack of money and the impact of covid.

Why do you feel responsible for this? I think you're projecting your own issues onto this thread tbh. Bit of a straw man argument considering that no one on this thread was complaining about teachers.

@cadburyegg there are plenty of complaints about teachers...have you read all 20 pages?

That is quite an ironic post given the title and contents of the thread.

@Notme1980 you've really come to the wrong place if you want to share an opinion about schools closing 🙈

I'm happy it's a bank holiday as I will get to watch it! However I'm not sure I want my 5 year old to sit and watch it (and he wouldn't want to either)..... so I'm not sure how mucb I'll get to see now 😳

Yes I've read the whole thread and these are the only 2 posts I've seen that are critical of teachers and school staff:

*Closing schools seems really for the benefit of teachers than children.

Is this another day of lost teaching for pupils? How will they make up the teaching time?*

Not exactly a huge teacher bashing thread is it.

Also, the Queen didn't agree to it being a BH. That wasn't in the original plan.

Must be awful for people eg in NHS, police etc who still have to work, but suddenly find their children are off. A lot different to other bank holidays that you know well in advance (as soon as you want) are coming up.

But good for kids I guess, and for the rest of us to have a bank holiday. Would be a bit rubbish for teachers etc if everything closed apart from them.

@cadburyegg actually that's not explicitly true. She didn't actually say what she wanted and just didn't say anything at all so I've heard. So not exactly the same.

Also, that is your perception of what is classed as teacher bashing...plus you actually contradicted what you originally said!!! Hilarious....

What sort of person doesn’t want bank holidays?!

Before everyone goes "woo hoo, another bank holiday" it is worth looking at the wording of the government announcement :"The government confirmed the day of the funeral would work in the same way as other bank holidays, and that there would be no statutory entitlement to time off, with employers able to include it as part of a worker’s leave entitlement." Legally, the minimum entitlement to holiday is 5.6 weeks, which includes bank holidays. So, if the number of bank holidays goes up by one day, technically an employee is entitled to one day less of non-bank holiday. Whether employers will enforce this, who knows, but they are legally entitled to do so!

How will a day of holiday harm people with trauma? (not being flippant - genuinely can’t see the problem?)

I feel sorry for those whose elective operations will be cancelled.

It's incredible to think that what is going to happen Monday week will be taught to children by those same teachers in future years. Might be handy if some of them actually saw some of it - you know, that primary evidence thing.

'Did you go there, Miss?'

'Nope. I had to go to work and referee between opposing factions of Years 7 & 8 where one half wanted to watch the funeral and the other half were enraged at the reverence given to the figurehead of oppression and abuse that has been enacted upon the people of many countries in the name of Empire'.

'What about Year 9-11?'

'They just didn't turn up.'

No children have missed years of school! Whilst the pandemic meat schools were closed for some, which was obviously an incredibly difficult time, the reality is that it was weeks and months and most definitely not years.

March to July, than January to March - minus the holidays that ours have already happened. Months, not years.

It's important to not exaggerate these things.

@FrippEnos

"Funny how very few people gave a shiny shit about these children before covid,
Yet now use it as a stick to beat teachers "

+++

Whilst I agree that very few people gave a shit about these children before Covid, I would argue that they give even less of a shit after Covid.

I would also use it as a stick to beat the public, voters and the Government about how children and young people have been thrown under a bus post Covid and why there has never been a greater need for an increase in Government spending on education than now.

People who still have to go to work. It's employer's discretion whether people can have the day off or not.

Exactly.

Last summer teaching about the Queen for the platinum jubilee was lovely because I told all my experiences of the Golden & diamond jubilee (and vague recollections from photos of the silver. I was only small then). So much more engaging with lived experience.

Although unfortunately, current teachers will most likely have seen the light and quit long before this becomes part of the curriculum.

@NeverDropYourMooncup I don't agree with your argument unless you are actually going to be watching in person (as opposed to watching television) and seeing something different to what is televised.

If you are watching televised footage then whatever you witness will be available for those children to see in future. Your 'primary evidence' won't be essential in the way that you imply.

None of that takes away from your preference to watch the funeral- but it is disingenuous to suggest that doing so is an essential way of gathering primary evidence with which to teach future generations.

Carving up the 6 weeks leads to other issues though...

It would be harder in many workplaces to sort time off during a shorter summer holidays (esp if everyone wants a fortnight). 4 weeks summer holidays only might push prices even higher.

Should all areas have roughly the same holidays or should it differ from county to county? If the latter it is problematic for families with children in diff schools across county borders (e.g. if closest high school is in a diff county as happens here). It is also a problem for school staff who work in a different county to where they live.

Spreading through the year might be great if you can afford holidays abroad - not great if you are stuck in the UK, it's easier to have cheap / free days out in good weather.

I'm astounded by the amount of teachers posting who seem to really dislike their job and the young people who they teach.

It is undoubtedly a really difficult job, if that is how you feel you should consider a change of career to put yourself and your pupils out of their misery. They deserve better- even if that is BBC bite size!

What? I haven't seen any such posts. I think you're confusing teachers saying they are pleased about the bank holiday with teachers hating kids and their job.

This is a very dangerous idea, that teachers should not have lives and families of their own. They should only exist to look after other children.