Secondary School can’t afford to turn the heating on so students are told to bring blankets…

[LetMeSpeak]

AIBU to think this tweet surely can’t be true, and if it is then it it’s a disgrace! What has this country become?

Can't be true.

Which school?

If true then yes it is a disgrace. The Tories have had a devastating effect on education in this country since they came into power. The school are probably facing the choice between heating and having enough staff.

They've probably been told to wear layers because the heat will only be on for limited hours.

I call fake news.

Fake news.

Teachers aren't going to be wanting kids messing around with blankets, and even worse, messing around under blankets. Personally I'd want to actually hear confirmation from the school before I believed it.

I'd want a more reliable source before jumping on the outrage bandwagon personally

My dd's school told the kids that they would have to study with their coats on this winter as the school could not afford the bills. That was before the government announced any measures to help, to be fair, so I'm not sure if it still stands.

Schools have no money. With rising costs and unfunded pay increases, what are they supposed to do?

Well considering most Secondary's don't let the children wear their coats indoors I doubt this is true.

What school is this?
What area?

Why would it be fake news? This is literally what we are being told to do if we can't afford heating. Why wouldn't schools have the exact same problem with regards paying for heating?

I can see a lot of “dress accordingly” but surely blankets is just a joke?

Saying that, I WFH and am often sat with my blanket and hot water bottle!

Sounds like bullshit. Why not let them wear their coats first before telling them to bring blankets in? Blankets are the last thing teachers will want kids titting about with. I don’t doubt many schools will be unable to afford to put the heating on but I think that tweet is a complete lie.

Think about it, energy prices are through the roof affecting us all.
It wouldn't surprise me that if schools aren't given extra money to pay for the increase in energy (so the school's budget is still the same) then that's going to be a teacher or three not employed to make up the financial shortfall.

My dc was specifically told that the usual rules re coat wearing would be relaxed this year.

Where is this and how would it work at a desk wrapped in a duvet?

Just checked and that Twitter account is now locked. Standard procedure for someone making stuff up.

FFS schools are expecting astronomical price rises this winter, with thousands needed to heat huge buildings. This isn't fake news, it is devastating and a real indication of why the govt. should have done things differently with the energy companies. If households are looking at unaffordable bills, what makes you think education, health or any other setting is different? These places get stiffed on energy.

I work in an FE college. We have to turn the lights off when students aren't in. Even if we are still working, we have to walk around and work in the dark.

Whilst I HOPE it's fake news, as a school governor I can believe it is true. The problem is that energy pricing in school is ai business rates, which has been higher than the residential cap for the last year, and continues to rise. Schools set budgets last jan/Feb with expectation of reasonable energy prices being sorted - but in reality they haven't been. Our school has reported I think it was a 400% rise in bills this year - but no additional support from government as government believe that schools can manage without additional support. This 400% rise BTW is around the cost of 1.5TAs posts so not a simple 'budget squeeze'. That is onto of TA/support staff and teacher pay rises which again has had no additional funding from government - despite them being significant additional costs above what many schools ex0ected budgeted for.

So realistically, as I said I HOPE it's fake, but it is believable sadly!

Being told to bring in blankets sounds cumbersome and unlikely, but heating being turned off isn't.

Sorry, but I am not prepared to share personal information online.

You can choose to disbelieve me if you like. I'm merely relaying what was said to my 17yo dd by her head of year.

As the governor for another school which has a deficit budget due to a lack of government funding, I didn't have too hard a time believing it myself.

IF they need anything, they should be allowed to wear oldies/hoodies, warm trousers (lined leggings/joggers) not thin school uniforms stuff. Hats/fingerless gloves/& in senior school scarves.

ditch uniform, wear sensible warm clothing.

THEN if they need more, consider what/how.

kids moving around the school with blankets is a massive recipe for disaster.

Because it's extremely unlikely that a school would want the pupils to be carrying blankets around all day