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…

I'm a working mum so I know how difficult is is, but school buildings (often) have got even worse over the years. Crowded, more so probably than when you were at school, more challenging students-which is relevant as this can get even worse in the heat Some schools have been completely rebuilt in the last decade and are better, but teacher friends tell me that sometimes the old grammar school type buildings are actually better and more comfortable than newer builds. As a parent, it makes me sad that we have to rely on schools for childcare. Schools should be for education, not babysitting. If we're relying on them for childcare, the buildings need to be improved. It won't happen overnight, but there doesn't seem to be much political will to improve them at all.

It’s fucking stupid closing schools, its just a hot day! If they have to close then they need to move summer holidays from jul/august to end of may/june!

They could have said that because of the extreme heat they recognise that some parents would rather not be sending their children into school for the rest of the week. But that equally they recognise that some parents may not be able to make arrangements to have them at home at such short notice. Therefore, they will be open for those children with an appropriately altered timetable and would appreciate any parents who are keeping their children home to let them know so that some work can be sent for them.

Or have a longer summer break of June/July/August.
Or have summer hours of 7am-1pm instead of 9-3.

Everyone's jobs are important to the running of our country, not just the blessed key worker ones..

The OP has very clearly said that she understands why they are closing and will take leave. The problem is the way in which the school have communicated which very much suggests that they believe every child has someone sitting around at home with no other commitments who can just drop everything and rearrange for new sports day arrangements.

I do not think schools should or need to fully close, the main issue in high heat is that there are too many bodies in too small of a space. Schools could issue comms to parents saying that school is optional during this period, that if they would prefer to keep the kids home and do worksheets/reading then they can but that school will be open for those unable to facilitate that.

The school would end up much less occupied, the kids that do go in could spread out, would generate less heat in the classrooms and could use outdoor shaded spaces for alternative provision. They should relax the uniform to allow for everyone teachers included to be more comfortable and accept that the work productivity would be reduced but not completely absent.

it doesn’t have to be all or nothing, open or closed.

There was a labour government in power from 1974 until 1978. I was a primary school teacher at that time. Taught 37 6-8 year olds in a leaky portakabin where we froze in winter and baked in summer. Has there ever been a government of any persuasion which has actually prioritised education?

Correct- the purpose of schools is to provide a safe environment for learning to your children, not to provide childcare so you can work.

I feel like they should keep going as normal and relax what the kids are doing, so no PE, rather than focus on desk based work which they won’t take in as they are lethargic give them something more relaxed to do even if it’s watching some decent educational TV. It’s too disruptive to close the school this last minute it’s not like this wasn’t forecast!

OP said it wasn't the emergency that bothered her but the way it was communicated.
Your communication implies that school can stay open for some. And I agree that it should. But her issue was the way it was communicated. I would be more bothered about the outcome.

All of this. ⬆️

Yes and I live in an area with high deprivation/high child poverty. So I question the idea that this is for the children's safety. More likely going to result in swathes of children out in the street unsupervised in 37 degree heat or left at home alone.

Do you expect them to go on bended knees to you @OhNoItsThePinkyPonk

They are putting your child first. You should do the same.

The DWP thinks it’s childcare, that’s why you’re expected to find a job once your child is in school.

A service can have more than one purpose, yes it is education, but while your child is being educated they are also being cared for. The school assume childcare responsibility across the hours that they operate.

It would be nice if they gave even a hint of recognition that this is unbelievably disrupting.

I often thought this when mine were primary school age.

Like you usually understood why they were shutting - toilets not working one example - but the expecation of nearby someones to step in quickly always struck me as odd especailly as a lot of the staff were or had been working mothers themselves.

I can completely understand it is for the best if school close with the heat - though long term changes - awnings - blinds - air con - all need to be considered - but the juggling behind it all not easy.

In Germany part of the starting school paperwork is declaring where your child will go in a heatwave.

If you say they can come home/go to grandparent, you get no warning, your child just turns up at home if it gets above a certain temperature in their classroom. It’s not just the UK that can’t cope.

The current weather is unprecedented and, in places, a threat to life, not just for the vulnerable (including children!) but everyone.

It really dismays me that people are saying words to the effect of "it's just a hot day". It's the same self-delusional denial that got us into this climate breakdown.

I wish my children’s secondary schools would close tbh!

Secondary school kids are often the ones travelling further, to less suitable buildings in less suitable clothing, with teachers who have fewer options for taking kids outside/ to cooler spaces.

And it doesn’t really cause such a problem for parents.

Yet it all seems to be primaries closing!

Why should they discuss the disruption to you? Did they create the heatwave?

Its hot. The same heat we strive for when we go on holiday. Its nothing too difficult to cope with.

Trouble is, and i say this because ive seen it ALL over FaceYak, the mothers are kicking up a holy stink about it. Every other post on local pages is about schools putting childrens lives at risk etc etc. They are damned if they do, they are damned if they dont.

Somehow these parents think their children are better off stuck at home than they would be at school for some reason.

If they were meant for childcare, they wouldn't care about attendance.

They aren't.

They are one option for fulfilling your child's right to receive a full-time education. If you choose to take that option, you are bound by their T & Cs which require all children to attend on the same days so that all children have covered the same content. If they close, they close for everyone (although in some circumstances they may agree to provide childcare for some children) so no-one falls behind anyone else.

If you do not want to abide by the T & Cs, you can take a different option for ensuring you meet your responsibility to provide a FT education.

In fairness, these temperatures are unprecedented. And we don’t have extreme heat and cold often enough to make changing infrastructure retrospectively worth the money.

Still not addressing my point that schools often overstep their boundary between providing education and trying to be a secondary parent. Maybe they should sort their boundaries out if they don’t want to be seen as childcare and merely an educational institution. The line is being blurred continuously, even things like Labour saying they want teachers to brush kids teeth.

This is also most likely why home schooling is on the rise. A lot of parents are rightly getting annoyed at the lack of consistency from education settings and the way schools can just decide to close at the drop of a hat (on top of ridiculous holiday amounts) leaving parents in the lurch who have work.

If we’re being forced into school as a mandatory option in the UK then yes, it is a childcare setting. Home schooling is usually not an option due to cost of living.

My first thought was that not every parent is able to take time off at short notice. Schools should stay open for those children whose parents aren’t able to take time off.

That's quite a big presumption, but yes - someone with caring responsibilities for the child always needs to be contactable - what if they are suddenly desperately unwell? You'd want to know asap surely?

I am a widowed single parent funnily enough - my employer knew I had childcare responsibilities, and as a manager myself, I also gave huge flexibility to all my staff with children, men and women. I made it one of my priorities to ensure my team could all manage their work/life balance as well as possible.

The employers of both parents should be understanding of parental responsibilities and both parents should share emergency cover equally.

I'm not sure how you've crowbarred domestic abuse into this.

Employers need to be much more proactive in how they are part of a good employee work/life balance.

The sole and total care of a child 9-3pm, Mon-Fri, is not the duty of any school.