Are you sending your children to school Tuesday and Wednesday?

[wonderouswelly]

I am a teacher and have heard lots of parents won’t be sending their children in during the heat wave next week.

Are you keeping yours off?

I am dreading it as a teacher; our classroom is so stuffy!

We regularly have children kept home from school due to weather. We get “it’s too hot so I won’t be sending him to school today”, we get “it’s raining and he’ll be soaked by the time he gets to school so I’m keeping him at home” and we get “it’s really cold and so I’m keeping him home in the warm”.

Totally ridiculous to keep children at home unless they have an underlying medical condition which would be exacerbated by temperature. No medical reason - unauthorised absence! I wouldn’t get away with not going to work because of the heat (and no, we don’t have air con, all fans are deployed to classrooms so none in the office and my window opens about an inch because of “security”).

I expect the reason I have really good staff retention is because I would hear a request like that and quite happily say yes if their work could all wait a day

It was 25C here yesterday, and yes it was "good weather" - it's also winter.

It will be 37 here on Wed. DS has lucked out - his classroom is in a 'hut' in the playground, and so has aircon. DD will boil, she would be way cooler at home (fairly cool house with north facing garden) but we'll send her as normal.

Sports day Thu AM and Fri PM (different schools), will see what happens there.

😂 yeah right

You would shut a business for the day because the sun’s out more than usual?

The world has gone mad.

How would it involve shutting a business?

Is there somewhere else we can send them?

Schools will have to make decisions on internal temperatures , which differ from the official weather station temperatures . There is a certain level of heat that can be dangerous and people are in danger of heatstroke .

Do you honestly believe that one person going to the beach adhoc in the middle of the work day wouldn’t encourage their colleagues to go “fuck it, I’m going to as well”?

As a minimum it would breed resentment.

Workplaces have policies, and rules, and expectations. Sort of like schools, and real life.

Yes. I often allow people leave at short notice. Or a long lunch. Or an early finish.

It doesnt cause chaos it garners a positive working environment

Oh, well I provide people with a safe and appropriate work environment and then expect them to work in it.

Unless they have leave booked, or it’s an actual emergency.

I don’t run a business based on where we’d all rather be, or tomorrow I’d be in Bali and retired and not in the workplace.

I find it really annoying that people seem to think that this is a decision for parents to make. If the school is open, there isn't really a choice for parents to make. Kids should be going in.

I also find it annoying that there are teachers on this thread suggesting that, even if schools are open, parents are irresponsible to send kids in. After all the messages and edicts on the importance of attendance, it's a slap in the face.

It is the school's job and teachers' job to keep kids in their care safe and comfortable. If they can't, the school should close. In the absence of any special health conditions that my child has, this is a risk assessment for my DC's school not for me. If my child becomes ill or overheated at school because the school hasn't managed the risk properly, I'll complain because the school hasn't done its job properly. Schools are in loco parentis for the kids in their care and responsible for their welfare. If kids are overheating or becoming ill and nauseous, this is a failing on the part of the school for not doing their job not my failing as a parent for sending them in.

Everyone in my team works very hard. I just treat them like adults I respect and allow them flexibility

You sound like a bundle of fun. In my post, I said if you’d say no if it was raining. If it’s company policy to say no within a week of the leave dates, then that meets the criteria I specified.

Did she actually ask for the leave or just say it like it was a shame she wasn’t enjoying the weather? Life is for living and work getting in the way is a shame!

I'm a TA and Wednesdays are our PE afternoon. Usually, we go up to our sports field but this week they've decided to keep us on the playground to play cricket, tennis and rounders. It's forecast to be 36°C here and I really hope think they'll just let them be outside, in the shade and chuck a ball around if they like.

Yes because I value education and think that moaning about hot weather when there are kids in places in the world where the temperature is constantly like Mars but they don’t have the luxury of getting a free education makes you look like a bit of a knobber.

She asked for emergency leave because it was warm and her friends were at the beach.

I’ll admit, she was young, 21 maybe.

But that’s not an emergency, and as much I hate to be the one to break it to everyone, sometimes life (and work) isn't always fun.

Your education hasn't done you an awful lot of good if you havent worked out that in hot countries
a) they are acclimatised to it
b) their daily routine generally is planned around the peak temperatures - hence the Mediterranean siesta
c) their school uniforms will be a different design
d) their buildings will be a different design

There's no point in an education if you don't also think

But it's her annual leave to use as she wishes.

Anyway. Each to their own. I know why I have really good staff retention and a high performing team and it's because I am able to be flexible with rules and treat them like humans

You’re right. It’s not always fun. Sometimes, we have the opportunity to make life better for others with our actions. You chose not to do that which was in line with company policy so you didn’t do anything wrong. She asked and you said no. She also didn’t do anything wrong. Presumably, she carried on working after that. Don’t ask, don’t get!

The fact that you’re still grumbling about this years later is what makes you a bit miserable. It was literally a non-event.

I was at a wedding yesterday. The ceremony was in a small room with about 100 people. I nearly passed out. Sweat was dripping off the end of most people's noses and every man's shirt was soaked through. It was hell! I can't imagine trying to teach or learn in an environment like this.

Tbf I don’t think any teachers implied that it would be irresponsible to send kids to school. At most, we agree that it would be uncomfortable and why , and that we’d understand if some parents kept their kids off.

it wouldn’t even cross my mind to keep my children off school. School doesn’t become optional because of the weather forecast. What sort of example are we setting kids?! It’s bizarre to even consider this IMO.

And just to add to that, we as individual teachers are also accused it seems of negligence by that poster if we can't keep the children cool in 37 degree buildings. Can't win. Plus ca change.