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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I'm a teacher not a bloody babysitter!

152 replies

Rosieeo · 08/01/2010 19:35

So SO annoyed by the guy on BBC News 24 just now who suggests that if teachers can't get to the school they teach at because of snow, they should go to the nearest school and set up 'some kind of a crèche facility'!

How much would you pay a person to look after thirty kids for five hours a day? £8 per hour, per child? Then fantastic, bring it on!

Are teachers simply glorified babysitters? Am I being unreasonable to be so annoyed by this?

OP posts:
frogetyfrog · 08/01/2010 21:29

Or where there are serious hills Peachy!! There arent any serious hills here though!

acatcalledfidget · 08/01/2010 21:29

No negative to schools closing???? We do educate the kids for a reason, we don't all teach because of the holidays...the fact that they aren't being educated isn't one the school takes lightly! our head will be fuming that the school is closed!

acatcalledfidget · 08/01/2010 21:30

What benefit do you think there is to 'playing the system'?

frogetyfrog · 08/01/2010 21:34

Extra day off! Time in the snow! Catch up on paperwork! Time without the children (there are teachers who dont like teaching - our local school has two out of three - reason we and many others dont use it!). There is no real negative to the staff though acat is there. Not like staff at Sainsburys for example who will lose a days pay. Not at primary school - I accept that at high school there is as it is a game of catch up for exams.

acatcalledfidget · 08/01/2010 21:36

you are aware that teachers don't actually close the schools themselves and that we are told not to come in or that we have to come in regardless of breaking our necks on the way don't you? So if you think that a Head or LEA would be kind enough to give us a day to play in the snow then you are very mistaken!

ABitOfPizzazz · 08/01/2010 21:37

But the head teacher makes the decision whether to close or not - s/he wouldn't be doing it to give her staff an extra day off. Also businesses can operate without a full quota of staff/work extra shifts.

I would speak to the school and get it off your chest about seeing the two teachers in town.

frogetyfrog · 08/01/2010 21:41

Yes I am aware of that cat. But not all Heads are as contientious or committed as we would all like or expect. Maybe I am wrong - hope I am wrong. I am not picking a fight or slagging off teachers - just simply expressing my confusion on our circumstances which surely others must also see do seem strange. Maybe it is LEA but I dont think so as not all the schools announce closures at once - ours is always on the drag and we have to get dc up and dressed and wait for website to be updated. Normally 5 mins before we leave when receptionist gets in. Then they finally let the local radio station know! If LEA made a blanket decision then it would be blanket announcements of closure (or at least around similar time - some were on website when i got up at 5am locally, and ours was 8.10 before we got told). And our Head could sell ice to eskimos. If he wanted a day off (wouldnt put it past him!) he could convince anybody it was necessary!

tethersend · 08/01/2010 21:42

I think the evil teachers shopping in town were bunking.

After all, they should have travelled to a closed school and waited outside all day just in case any of the children survived the journey to school and showed up.

megapixels · 08/01/2010 21:44

YANBU. Going by the angry FB statuses I see some parents seem to think that schools exist just so their children have a safe place to go and stay in everyday. The fact that schools have been closed mainly due to dangerous conditions seem of little importance compared to the inconvenience to them. I really don't know what they expect the schools to do, I actually get the impression that they don't mind the risks as long as school is open.

frogetyfrog · 08/01/2010 21:44

Anyway, I have got to go to work now. Working around dh and trying to get a few hours in to claw back a days annual leave as I havent got much left for dds sickness days (ongoing health issues!). Lets hope its all back to normal monday although the snow is beautiful. Sorry if I have upset anybody.

frogetyfrog · 08/01/2010 21:47

And just one last post (god its addictive this mumsnetting thing)- tethersend - I dont think they are evil but they are being paid to work!

acatcalledfidget · 08/01/2010 21:47

I hope your DC's school isn't so shockingly bad for DC's sake. Perhaps speak to the LEA, there will be a reason I'm sure.

tethersend · 08/01/2010 21:50

frog, we don't get paid time off to look after our own children, if that makes you feel any better.

Some teachers are in a worse position than you as they do not have the option of taking annual leave when their DC's school has a snow day and their own does not.

frogetyfrog · 08/01/2010 21:51

I suppose so acat. You have made me feel a little more positive about it all anyway - thankyou. Dont get me wrong - our school is actually great and although the head could never be accused of being totally committed to it, he is great with the children and a good laugh - very laid back. The teachers are excellent teachers - its an outstanding school generally. My dc love it.

PeachyWillNeverVoteBNP · 08/01/2010 21:51

Three arenegs to the teachers.

Several days worth of teaching to fit in, for a start; at our schoolthey ahd tocancel the bog theatre trip- lots of PITA fall out from that no doubt (aprents wanting refunds for tickets unused mainly I suspect).

Not evryone wants to be home either;DH is most grumpy about that. Asam I about sharing the PCwhenan esay needed doing LOL. (DH not a teacher btw)

frogetyfrog · 08/01/2010 21:51

And now I am going - or else I will be out all night!

tethersend · 08/01/2010 21:52

I'm sure they will have accrued enough unpaid overtime during their careers to warrant a shopping trip one afternoon... time off in lieu if you like

lowenergylightbulb · 08/01/2010 21:54

I'm going to live underneath my desk at my school so that I am available 24/7, no matter what the weather, to provide childcare for all the people with proper jobs.

hocuspontas · 08/01/2010 21:56

I'm trying to remember the good barb you made yesterday tethersend about overcoming hurdles - made me giggle

Wastwinsetandpearls · 08/01/2010 22:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

MillyR · 08/01/2010 22:05

Many of the problems that have been suggested about teachers working in their nearest school could be overcome by the Government making plans and organising for these situations in advance. There is no point waiting for unusually bad weather to come along and then blaming teachers for lack of Government planning.

A scheme could have been set up whereby teachers registered with their local school and the council had info on how many teachers would potentially attend each school in emergency or unusual situations. Each school could have a set of documents set up for such an event with the location of keys, fire exits, info on specific children, registers and so on. It is possible.

I also think it would be less offensive to teachers to be compared to childcare workers if we gave childcare workers the same qualifications and status as teachers, as they do in Scandinavia.

But none of that is really the point. Schools are shut to ensure the safety of children, which should be the most important consideration.

Both of my children's schools were open today, but only DD went, as I did not consider it safe for DS to make the longer journey. DD's teacher came to work but she kept her teenagers off school because she did not consider their journey safe. Each person's situation will be different.

PeachyWillNeverVoteBNP · 08/01/2010 22:17

Our oldhead,when opening was dubious,would open and ,make it optional.

Kids spent day watching DVD etc but parents with a real need had options;OTOH peoplelikemyself who had a real need to maintain routine,or simply could helpout with childcare numbers to balance non attending teachers, stayed at home.

Used to work a treat. And allowed for teachers who could tocome in (most of ours are married toteachers so one would take the day one would work).

As it satnds, if schools are open but with other teachers we ([arents of sn kids wecannot send in without TA etc) run risk of getting into trouble if we dont send our boys (seriosuly, several SN aprents have ahd warnings for SN related absences,one woman Inow had her asd child escorted toschool by police fgs) so we lose instead of working parents... there has to be a middle road

2snowshoes · 08/01/2010 22:20

yanbu
teachers are there to teach, childcare is imo a seperate issue.
as for teachers going to the nearest school....
how would that work in an sn school?

tethersend · 08/01/2010 22:23

FWIW, I agree wholeheartedly about the cack-handed way the attendance initiative has been handled by many schools/LEAs.

But that is another thread...

PeachyWillNeverVoteBNP · 08/01/2010 22:29

It is generally (there'sone in SN somewhere) but it would limnk for us,I pulled ds3 out early Tuesday becuase child by taxi across MWay junctions is v v different to the others a short walk away.