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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Schools closed for the Queen’s funeral

855 replies

Notme1980 · 10/09/2022 11:09

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.

OP posts:
antelopevalley · 11/09/2022 20:32

Potato28 · 11/09/2022 20:29

@Notme1980
You dont want schools to close - You want what she would of wanted?

You do know that she knew about the plan of her funeral and to make the funeral day into a Bank Holiday?
Schools to be closed etc,
Thats what she wanted !

The Queen never had to worry about childcare though.

ThatshallotBaby · 11/09/2022 20:35

Of course it needs to be a bank holiday.
There’s no question that it shouldn’t be.

Fluff3 · 11/09/2022 20:37

Its all very well to have a bank holiday for the funerel, however, for some bank holidays just dont exist. Some have to solider on and carry on working. We dont get extra pay or a day in lieu for doing so. When such people only have 1 week to find child care then problems start to occur. People in power seem to think that everyone has a job where you get weekends and bank holidays off and that they are doing us a favour by giving us that extra day off. They are not. What about small buisness's who cant afford to loose another days pay, or hospital appointments which already have long waiting lists. Should these get cancelled? and make these lists evan longer. To have to inform people that the appointment they have been waiting years for has been delayed by another few months, because thats the next available appointment. Yes it is just 1 day, but 1 day can make a big difference. Im not slamming the queen, or bank holidays when given the appropiate time to organise things, but I think her funeral should be a private affair for her family. Let them grieve in peace. It shouldnt be some holiday where people can come and gloat over a dead elderly lady, because its a historical event. The queen was a mother and grandmother. Her family should have privacy at a time like this.

noblegiraffe · 11/09/2022 20:37

how the generation of children is going to have a much lower income (we are talking 5% of Potential loss of GDP per year for the next generation, amountable to the biggest recession ever etc etc)

This is balls, by the way. The person knocking up this set of statistics had no idea how exam grading works and didn't think to check before publishing.

Dou8hnuts · 11/09/2022 20:45

QuebecBagnet · 10/09/2022 11:13

I disagree. Everyone should have the opportunity to watch the funeral inc teachers

I agree it should be a bank holiday but I also believe that any NON-Essential places should be closed including supermarkets etc it wouldn’t hurt them all to close one day in a mark of respect and allow staff to watch the historic event or if they really don’t want to be able to spend that time with family and not have to worry about childcare etc as schools are closed

Nomorefuckstogive · 11/09/2022 20:56

It’s one day. It’s a mark of respect. All non emergency workers should be off. IT’S ONE DAY!

Wineaddict · 11/09/2022 20:59

Why? You haven’t given your reason.

BitterGreen · 11/09/2022 21:07

Even if schools were open, I would of kept my kids off school anyway. Neither me or my kids would want to miss the funeral. She was our Queen and one of the greatest women of our time. Why wouldn't it be a bank holiday??

llizzie · 11/09/2022 21:07

It is very sad. Children are our future. How we live it depends on the way our children are educated. Part of that education is to try and understand death and the grief which it brings with the separation of our loved ones.

Children should know what they are witnessing, and parents should be there to explain that the great ceremonies celebrate the life of someone held dear to the whole world, and all those who loved here mourn the loss of one of their favourite people. With some painful exceptions, parents die before their children: how can we expect them to understand their loss if we do not show them by example? We are quick to chastise, why not to educate them to understanding the human psyche?

onlythreenow · 11/09/2022 21:09

There are going to be public holidays in many parts of the world to commemorate the Queen's passing - you seem to think this is all about you!

Supergirl1958 · 11/09/2022 21:12

jennakong · 11/09/2022 19:51

Why not just watch the funeral online or on a television in the classroom then? Parents and kids have had quite enough disruption in the past 2.5 years.

i know my teenagers, if at home will watch about ten minutes of it, then disappear into Fortnite or whatever.

I work in early years...I assume you know what it's like having 3 year olds...now times that by about 30....see the issue?

Sirzy · 11/09/2022 21:16

Dou8hnuts · 11/09/2022 20:45

I agree it should be a bank holiday but I also believe that any NON-Essential places should be closed including supermarkets etc it wouldn’t hurt them all to close one day in a mark of respect and allow staff to watch the historic event or if they really don’t want to be able to spend that time with family and not have to worry about childcare etc as schools are closed

I agree.

my partner is a hgv driver (none food deliveries) and we are hoping tomorrow his workplace confirm they will be shut.

my son is due to have an important hospital appointment the day of the funeral. As much as on a personal level I don’t want it cancelled I fully understand why it may be and think it’s right in the circumstances that they are.

Hobbitlover · 11/09/2022 21:17

Was already a bank holiday where I live 🤷‍♀️

Crayfishforyou · 11/09/2022 21:25

It’s a pain. I now have no childcare for next Monday but I still have to work.
I’m hoping I can find someone who will take dd for the day

Morph22010 · 11/09/2022 21:30

My mum is going to a funeral the day of the funneral, mum was quite relaxed saying the funeral is at 10 and queens is not till 11 so she thinks it will still go ahead, but what about all the funerals later in day, will they go ahead

lavenderlou · 11/09/2022 21:32

I am sure you will be very understanding when your long-awaited medical appointment is cancelled because the doctor's child's school is closed and they can't work.

Long-standing medical appointments will likely be cancelled because it's a Bank Holiday and non-emergency appointments don't take place on Bank Holidays. It won't be because schools are shut.

LilacPoppy · 11/09/2022 21:32

@Hobbitlover that's a public holiday not a bank holiday. Not the same thing.

Flowerytoe · 11/09/2022 21:35

the80sweregreat · 10/09/2022 11:21

Can't win can they ?
If they hadn't done this they would have been criticized.

Hmm, what if they did it on a Sunday?

bringbackveronicamars · 11/09/2022 21:36

toooldtodate · 10/09/2022 11:22

Having your kids home isn't likely going to make it easier to watch though is it? - i can understand the sentiment behind it but the schools could have put screens up in the hall to watch it and spent the day learning about the queen etc and her legacy - there are more fitting ways to spend the day than closing

Nice.

You want people with children to be able to sit home and watch it without having to watch their children ... never mind teachers that want to watch it with their own families perhaps rather than not get to take it in while they wrangle your children and hundreds of others.

It's a Bank Holiday. Schools will be closed accordingly, as they should.

Elle2018 · 11/09/2022 21:38

The arrangements for the funeral and everything that happens after a monarch passes will have been thoroughly planned before hand and so all the events that are happening, including school closures/bank holiday, will have been what the Queen wanted.

Flowerytoe · 11/09/2022 21:40

She was our Queen and one of the greatest women of our time

What?! She lived a life of luxury and privilege because of her bloodline, not because of hard work or talent but because of who she's related to. How on earth was she one of the greatest women of our time? She did literally nothing to deserve that title.

NotBadConsidering · 11/09/2022 21:41

ThatshallotBaby · 11/09/2022 20:35

Of course it needs to be a bank holiday.
There’s no question that it shouldn’t be.

Apart from the question about what to do with the thousands of people who have a hospital clinic appointment or elective surgery scheduled for that day. That’s a question I haven’t seen answered yet.

Imagine you’ve been waiting months to years for an operation and it gets postponed a week before.

CapMarvel · 11/09/2022 21:42

LilacPoppy · 11/09/2022 19:25

@CapMarvel no school isn't childcare it's education. Parents may take advantage and use it for childcare but they are ultimately responsible for caring for their own children.

Absolutely schools provide childcare - when children are at the school it is the responsibility of the staff at the school to ensure they are safe as well as educating them. This is a fact and it's completely daft to try to argue otherwise, otherwise why would ANY parent actually send their kids to these places?

SeeYouNextTLol · 11/09/2022 21:44

Lancrelady80 · 11/09/2022 20:16

Why not watch on a computer / tv in the classroom?

Because any teacher will tell you that they spend that time monitoring behaviour and intervening as required. Not actually watching at all. Even more so if you have a set of very emotional children who have recently suffered bereavement or are just easily moved. One starts crying, they all join in. Noone sees anything and noone can be properly comforted.

This is an historical event. Those who want to watch it should be able to, and even those with no interest at all should be able to mark the event - if that's by ignoring it and taking a walk, fine. It's still there as a day to take in honour of the Queen and the magnitude of the event, no matter your opinions on the monarchy.

Stop being pissed off with schools and trying to shove it back on them when they have zero say. Be pissed off with the employers making you work it or use annual leave on it - it is at THEIR discretion, not schools! And some of you may still get that day at another point in time. Self employed people, I'm sorry but when you chose to go self employed one of the downsides was not being paid if ill, for bank holidays etc. It sucks but you did know that. People scrambling for childcare - I appreciate it's hard and short notice, but you have this same problem when your school shuts at 7:30am due to snow or boiler break down, just with less notice. You have to turn to plan b.

I will be watching at home with my primary aged children, glad that both they and I can watch properly, take note of the moment, discuss any questions and deal with any upset (and both were very upset at the announcement of her death, completely unexpectedly so.)

I say again: Be pissed off with the employers making you work it or use annual leave on it - it is at THEIR discretion.

This. Well-said. Thread should be done now.

generalh · 11/09/2022 21:45

Louder for those at the back...
Teachers did not make the decision to close for the day. The government did. HTH!

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