Infant school to close for local council election. Am furious. Who do I complain to?

[miljee]

Just got a book bag note telling me this. As well as the plethora of inset days we get at least 2 of these a year! If I decided to not send my child to school one day I can get into serious trouble, but if 'they' decide to commandeer the school for a piffling local election at the drop of a hat, no problem! Yes, I can take days off work at their convenience, can't I? (having just taken NEXT Friday as an inset for the same child). Anyway, though I'm SURE there's absolutely nothing that will change this school closure, I want to register my complaint at the high-handed and basically unfair way these things are decided. They expect ME to take my child's education seriously yet can cancel days of it entirely at their convenience, willy-nilly. Use a bloody church hall- there's no shortage of them. I may even get a petition up.

go ahead

yes, village halls must have insurance to cover their use by members of the public so if it was held there then no insurance needed. Also, our Parish PL insurance covers any Council event, wherever it is held, as does the Village Association one actually, so the insurance really isn't an issue.

I would be calling the Council and asking them about it before starting the petition, do you have a Parish or Town Council?

Why not compaign for them to be on a Saturday, or even postal/internet. Even my tiny old place on the other side of the world manages both of these (Sat for general election) and postal for council and mayor.

Venues here included a garage next to someones house and a show home as well as the usual schools.

"(Sat for general election)"

How do they manage to have a general election vote on a Saturday when it's always held on a Thursday????

Ok miljee. I just raised the point as you mentioned the 'plethora' of INSETs in your first post

The reason general elections were held on a Thursday is because the weekly bank Rate was always announced on a Thursday, so the result of the election wouldn't affect it - the political situation would have settled down by the next Thursday(or so I was told in my A level economics anyway!)
But now Bank Rate is no longer announced every Thursday, the election doesn't have to be on a Thursday either.

I know it does not really help you when you need to take a day off work, but could you look on it as bonus day with your child when most other children are at school. My ds's school always closes for elections in early May (the teachers use it for one of their inset days), but we take advantage and go to somewhere like a theme park or zoo, which would really busy during school holidays.

QofQ, twentypence is talking about NZ (tiny old place on the other side of the world)

our council add 'lost' days so that the children don't have less than the statutory 190 days teaching. if there's an election and they use the school then that school will have a day added at the end of one of the terms

I love the extra days off for INSET and elections - we always make special plans for those days! [guilty emoticon]

Pixiefish - your council in MEAN!

i think most councils do it tbh as its a statutary requirement to teach for 190 days but i wouldn't argue about it so i only say what i know iyswim

aha thankyou MJC - it makes sense now

For us it's the day here/day there off school that's a problem (insets/polling days). I have 2 x DSs in 2 schools (associated infants and juniors) but they've never yet managed to synchronise an inset day so though the concept of a nice day off when everyone else is in school sounds great, I have to be fair to both boys and one would enjoy a theme park far more with the other in tow! Each and every day off equals ANOTHER day's annual leave from work for me (with no kids club to help with the inevitable discrepancy between the DSs 13 weeks leave and my and DH's combined 10 weeks ASSUMING we don't want to be as rash as to take time off together at any stage!).

And as for 'meanness' MAKING kids do 190 days a year that still equals 175 days at home!- they barely seem to be IN school before we're tearing around organising holiday care for them ONCE AGAIN! No, I don't begrudge my DCs their holiday, but I DO begrudge the impunity with which the council can close the school yet could, frankly imprison ME should I be the one to decide there'll be no education today. Especially as the turn out for this election will be about 22%, like last time.

Elections should be held on Saturday as in most places in the civilised world.