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Education

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Original poster

Schools closed for polling day

21 replies

Mummyaa · 05/05/2011 11:01

Another day off! Isn't it about time that this out-dated approach is given a fundamental overhaul when so many mums work and will either have to take a day off or try arrange something with friends or family, if you have any nearby. I have approached both he Head and the Local Authority to see if they can use the numerous alternative facilities within a stones throw of the school, but to no avail, it seems like it is easier to stick with what has always been done, hmm. It's not just the local elections, there was by-election a couple of years ago and we had about 4 weeks notice. Grrr

OP posts:

bubblecoral · 05/05/2011 11:09

I agree. Our school isn't closed but our pre school is.

You would think they could use one of the numerous village/town halls or church halls that most places have. It's not like polling booths take up that much space that they need a whole school.

Good on you for at least trying to change it!

yummychoccycake · 05/05/2011 11:30

Fancy having it in schools in the first place, so that any joe bloggs can walk in and out. They're always banging on about protecting children....sorry over protective mum speaking.

JemimaMop · 05/05/2011 11:34

But yummy that is exactly why they close the schools to pupils if they are being used as a polling station. It is to protect the children as lots of different people are in and out!

School isn't childcare. Doesn't the local after school club etc open on INSETs, election days etc? Or childminders etc?

yummychoccycake · 05/05/2011 11:38

My DS school is still open today whilst being used as a polling station!

Coffeeisking · 05/05/2011 11:39

It drives me mad, our playschool and junior school is closed today.

Also there is a polling station in my local church for 8 roads, then a massive polling station next door in the secondary school for a huge area of the estate. I have no idea what the point of that is!

JemimaMop · 05/05/2011 11:42

Really yummy? That must be unusual. I wonder if it is due to pressure from parents to remain open.

pinkmagic1 · 05/05/2011 11:45

It makes me so angry, my kids school isn't used for polling but the one across the road is and is closed again just days after going back from the Easter holidays. There are many church halls, empty shops etc in the vicinity that could easily be used instead.

katz · 05/05/2011 11:48

our School is both open and a polling station. Polling is in the separate music room and has been fenced off to allow for people to vote. I can't see why more schools can't do this.

nickelbabe · 05/05/2011 11:48

Now I realise why there are so many kids in town

not so many shopping for books though

yes, I agree, there are loads of places that polling stations could be, rather than schools.

JemimaMop · 05/05/2011 11:50

Some schools are just too small to do that.

I live in a rural area where schools are small. Lots of them only have 2 classrooms and a hall which is used for lunches, so there is nowhere that can be used if the pupils are there.

In our village they use the village hall, but that means that the nursery school is closed as they use the hall.

galois · 05/05/2011 11:52

Our school is a small rural school (65 kids) and a polling station, and is open. You have to go into the playground to get to the polling station. It isn't a problem.

Coffeeisking · 05/05/2011 11:56

Katz - Our junior school is using the school hall for the polling station so the is nowhere for the children to have lunch and p.e. So there is no choice but to close it to the pupils

Original poster

Mummyaa · 05/05/2011 12:10

Jemima, I know that school isn't childcare. However, for working parents that only have a limited amount of holiday, many of whom can only take this in blocks and therefore can't take the odd day off, it is a real issue. In addition, I think it is a major disrupter to the school week, especially on top of all the bank holidays.

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JemimaMop · 05/05/2011 12:27

Is there no childcare provision then?

In most schools locally that are closed for an INSET or election the after school club will open if there is demand.

Did you have your Easter holidays early? All of the bank holidays fell within our school holidays, so there was no extra disruption.

narniesarnie · 05/05/2011 12:32

They should use libraries as polling stations .... oh, yeah they are all closing down (DD5 is reading over my shoulder ' but I like getting days off school..!') ah well, what about polling on Saturdays then?

mrswoodentop · 05/05/2011 12:40

Most of the schools around here went back for the three days between Easter and the May bank holiday as the Easter holiday started on 8 April.Some also had one of the days last week as INSET.One went back Tuesday ,then closed Wed for INSET open thursday closed Fri for bank holiday ,I hope it isn't closed today.Have never heard of after school club opening on Inset in fact there was a thread on here some months ago asking why this didn't happen

crazymum53 · 05/05/2011 13:07

My child's school is still open because they do use the library as a polling station here
Our polling station is the local scout hut! One year they used the fish and chip shop as a polling station and you got a free portion of chips when you voted .

bacon · 05/05/2011 13:44

You'll find that in industry talk schools are childcare! Safe childcare so that working people can earn money to pay taxes. It has always been that and always will be. Working people struggle enough without extra days which have to be taken off unpaid or some pulling a sickie, far too many people think grandparents and family are there automatically, not everyone has this luxury.

As self employed and switched on with commerce far too many people are blinkered as to the effect on business'!!! and wonder what effect it has on schooling against the number of days I was in school inthe 80's or perhaps the number of days my own mum attended in the 50's!

I have to pay for additional childcare as no way can I afford to have another day off. On the otherhand I cant really afford another £15 for this luxury out of my takings.

I wonder what the turnout will be at my school bet their be lucky to get more than 10 people! Most people dont bother and the rest postal. At the last WAG election there was only a 30% turnout which is pathetic to shut down education. There are plenty of other public buildings the LA can use. I cant see why postal and internet should be the standard. For safety reasons thats far too weak for me, there are plenty of ways around that.

I should open a childcare business as I see this type of business is the winner in these times! Running a SME is tough in these times.

JemimaMop · 05/05/2011 14:19

Where in Wales are you bacon? There was a 57% turnout at the last WAG election here, and there was even a 44% turnout for the Welsh referendum in March.

The after school club at my DC's school opens 8.30 - 5.30 on INSETs, as long as there is enough demand to pay the staff wages.

Original poster

Mummyaa · 05/05/2011 16:38

Bacon, couldn't agree with you more, there are just so many things against this outdated approach to the use of schools! C'mon ladies, write to your local council, headteacher and MP and lets see if we can get this changed for the better of the education of children, efficient use of public resources such as schools and for the business benefits, oh and the sanity of working mothers too!

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mrz · 06/05/2011 18:27

My local school has only been used once in living memory (sometime in the mid 1960s) when they found asbestos in the church hall which is usually used as the polling station. It's quite unusual for schools to be used here.

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