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…

This is the kind of thing the person I wish I was would write. Balanced, sensible and considered. I am going to take this all on board, get some perspective, and stop complaining. Thanks MN.

I agree it is getting hotter but they can't just magic it out of the air overnight and saying they're not fit for purpose is a bit of a stretch

Schools have never given a shit about working parents. Which is ironic as I imagine most teachers are probably parents too. I guess it’s just not their priority. And of course it’s true that schools aren’t childcare but childcare options aren’t available for school age children during term time and school hours. They’re only for pre school children, after school and holidays.

I'm in London today. It's bearable. This is totally ridiculous.

But safeguarding children’s health would trump a customer relationship and convenience- like when a nursery asks you to collect an ill child.

But is it? Don't the schools themselves have control over anything about the buildings? Couldn't they all have had plans for this?

You're in a classroom?

Our school has given parents the option to collect their kids at 1:30pm or keep them until 3:15pm. Seems pointless but I think it’s more to do with attendance if anything!

Except it isn’t unprecedented at all. It’s hot for June but it isn’t as if we haven’t dealt with 30 degrees over the past few years. We need to adapt, this is going to keep happening.

If you're in a classroom is it on the third floor with panoramic windows?

Its just as hot in my home as it is in the school and I am sat here working so I really don't understand what difference sending them home makes.

Our school has said no uniform pe kit or any shorts and t-shirt and the usual plenty of water and sun cream

What do you suggest? When schools can’t afford basics such as glue sticks what control can they have over their buildings? Certainly there’s no money for air con.
I’ve taught in 6 schools. All of them were made predominantly of glass. Pop 30 children plus one or two adults into one of those glass boxes aka classrooms, there’s very little one can do to mitigate the heat!
Waiting to hear your suggestions…

Presumably there’s not 30 children in your home?

We went to Malaysia on holiday in September - Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi. KL is between 22 - 32 degrees C the year round, and humid, with regular tropical showers. Local guides told us, there was no air conditioning in the state schools for the children. Going outside in Langkawi was like walking into a hot bathroom, full of steam, because it was the tail end of one of the two hurricane seasons. Admittedly, we were staying in a tropical rainforest.

I can’t see the problem here, where it’s much less humid, for healthy children and adults of working age.

No they don’t. Unless you would prefer the per pupil budget to be spent on buildings.

We need to adapt by installing air con and rebuilding schools- happy with the additional taxes needed to pay for it?

no but the room I am sat in is a lot smaller than a classroom and i am surviving

Not likely their homes are air conditioned either

I can keep my 1 child cool in a darkened room with a fan and ice lollies much easier than a teacher can keep 30 children cool in a classroom that's hitting 40c.

They not squashed into rooms with 30 plus other humans and windows that can’t open properly.

It is childcare. Literally almost everyone uses it as childcare.

And if you can't? For example your are teacher in another school that's not closing?

Our school have given parents the option to pick up at lunch tomorrow and Thursday, but school open as normal if you can’t/don’t want to pick up early.

People are still complaining about that in the WhatsApp group.

There are plenty of kids live if flats with much smaller rooms and windows that only open a tiny bit

You can. If your child is off you have to stay off too, that's just parenting.