AIBU to think school closures ignore parents' work commitments?

[OhNoItsThePinkyPonk]

AIBU to think that the school doesn’t take much account of parents’ need to work? Primary school have just announced they won’t be opening for the rest of the week, but it’s OK because they’ll be sending us online work for us to do with the children, and whilst they are sorry they have had to cancel sports day we shouldn’t be too upset because they’ve have rescheduled it for a couple of weeks time. Like, I totally get they have to put the safety of the children first and if it’s too hot it’s too hot, but what do they think I’m
doing when the kids are at school, preparing beautiful dinners, ensuring the craft box is topped up, pining wistfully for the moment they come home? FFS, my job obviously comes second to my children and of course I’ll cancel planned surgeries and clinics where I need to. It’s not the emergency that bothers me, it’s the blasé way in which it’s communicated as though it’s a
minor inconvenience, not a major major f’ing headache with serious second and third order effects.

phew, that’s better. Now to go and get the little darlings…

While it’s utterly stupid that schools have such inflexible clothing rules, missing a mock exam has no consequences at all. She can take it when she’s next in. It’s a school thing.

Its a common sense thing

While that school is clearly run by bellends, they're not representative of England where most are in PE kit or even closed.

Well yes. I said the clothing rule was stupid. What I’m saying is that missing a mock is neither here nor there. Just to put everyone’s mind at rest.

Its the Co op Academy Manchester

Risky things? If you are talking from the quoted post then those things were done at school

Why are they so inflexible? That’s nuts

I meant the river, obviously. And other risky behaviour that can, and does, lead to serious injury and death.

The infant school near to me (that I worked at for nearly 15 years) closed yesterday and today.
School staff have been in today but not the children. Next door shoved their kids out into their paddling pool late morning today.
It’s bloody madness. We’re not inner London (we’re in a coastal town) and I have 100% worked in these conditions before with the children in school.
Yes, it was absolutely shit but we’re not inland where it’s even worse than here.

True. There are 6 secondary schools in a 4 mile radius to where I live (including the one I teach at). A parent on my local community page was ranting that her daughter was sent to isolation for wearing PE kit as the 'relaxed' uniform was just no blazer and tie. The rest of our schools has PE rule. There are crap schools out - I wish parents could not tar us all with the same brush.

School is to educate. Childcare arrangements are for the parents to sort out. Very entitled imo to view school as childcare and demand that it remain open for such purposes, as some posters have been doing.

The issue is there is no such thing as paid childcare during the school week for over-5s. And if there was it would also be shut.

Fortunately I have an understanding employer and DH and I covered a day each this week. But for say a single parent of 2 with 2 lots of illnesses plus potential snow days and heat days off it starts to build up.

I think there are two points: first, school can't let the under 16s out without telling parents. Second, the kids are not in a fit state to look after themselves. They aren't usually this mad - when I went through water safety yesterday they were all puzzled why anyone would swim in the river "you know it's full of sewage miss", but they've properly lost their senses today.

Aren't our wonderful government always wanging on about how much easier it is for parents to work when schools have wrap around care?

Parents work commitments are not on the school radar. It didn't even come last on the list of priorities because parents work is none of there business. They are there to teach children in a safe environment. The weather this week has proved it's not a safe environment so they wont be going in. Are you seriously saying your work takes priority to the health and safety and children and staff?

So did no teacher working in an open school mention it would be problematic for them when their own children's school closed? I would imagine it might be even harder for teachers who are parents because they are not as used to needing childcare during term time.

Teachers need child care during term time just as much as anybody else. It doesn't change my opinion, working parents isn't a priority for schools and the safety of kids and staff comes first, even if that includes closing schools. Why should a child of mine be put in an unsafe environment because working parents think their needs take priority ?

Yes, the ones who struggled here were the secondary teachers with primary age children because the primaries fully shut, while the secondaries closed at lunch time. This is why we ended up with key workers' children going to school in COVID times.

I think the secondaries ended up gathering large groups in cooler areas and lower floors.

I completely get it's annoying and doesn't take into account working schedules but honestly it's much easier to keep one/ a couple of children cool in their own home than 300+ students cool in buildings that aren't built to handle anywhere near that kind of heat. And as it's usually last minute decisions they can't exactly send out a notice so people can make other arrangements well in advance

Yes, they do go the extra mile. I wish the government would stop punishing them!

It has nothing to do with teachers worrying about kids. As always its teachers worrying about teachers, any excuse for more time off, never mind what parents are supposed to do! Are teachers the only ones who have been hot this week? What about manual workers,it must be awful.There really is no excuse for this.

What would this country be like if everyone downed tools for a bit of heat!
Shops closed,hospitals closed,everything! Happy now?

Here you go, two thirds of teachers experienced children feeling sick in the heat, and a third had kids needing medical attention.

But yeah, let's keep sending out kids into school just to fuck over the teachers, right?

Polling data

I am absolutely sick to death of this attitude. Teachers are amazing, they go above and beyond for the kids they teach. We have had a life threatening heatwave, this is a danger to staff and children. And by the way it's not the teachers who make the decision if the school closes. A decision is made by people higher up in the school for the welfare of staff and students. Parents working responsibilities are not considered because parents don't attend the school, simple as. The decision is made for the people who are in the school environment, they carnt make the decision based on parents, I'm sorry but that's the way it has to be. No I'm not a teacher but this ignorant attitude towards hardworking teachers makes me so angry. It's people like you that force amazing teachers to quit. Think about that