Responses
Teachers don't get to decide if the school is closed, the Head/Principal does. In my experience, their decision has nothing to do with staff inconvnience, but with parental response.
Some parents will demand their precious bundle is restored to the house on sight of the first snowflake and will whoosh by in the 4x4 with the bubblewrap for the journey back home. Other parents will demand the school will stay open regardless of any weather conditions. Others yet would love to send their kids to you and wait to sue because they tripped and fell / got a snowball to the eye / got cold and caught a cold. They'll get an out of court settlement via injurylawyers4profit, and the school will get a bollocking for losing budget money on such payouts [the LEA won't fight, they never do anything to defend a school or teacher who is even accused of anything; regardless of the truth].
You're the head - what's your call?
Why is it that kids can play in the snow, but not go to school? Who you gonna sue if your kid falls off their sledge?
Why were schools open in the 70s, but not now? How many of you got the bus (school not public) or got driven to school in the 70s? How's about now? What is the school supposed to do if the bus company says no service today [even if public busses are running]? Or if parent's won't drive their kids in?
Reynard...taxes might pay my salary, but I'd imagine your salary wouldn't be up to much if there wasn't a state education system.
And if people insist of the flase compare of schools with private business, let's torture the metaphor. Schools provide education as a product. It is consumed by children who spend taxation money to get it. Is there any point in keeping a business open for the day when there is no chance of it actually doing any trading that day (and a chance of employees or browsing shoppers suing if there is a health and safety violation discovered)? If the business lacks the staff (teachers), and the stock (teachable lessons), and the consumers (students) to actually do the trading....WHY is it open?!?
And don't lecture me about techaer being paid during snow-days; anyone on an annual salary receives pay for the days in which a business is closed. Teachers do a massive amount of out-of-hours work just to meet the basic requirements of the job; this doesn't count as overtime. Clock watching is a very quick way to kill any ambition of having a state education system that actually does any educating.
BTW, my college has remained open. Yesterday there were 95% or so of staff in and under 8% of students in. A total waste of time for the staff and students who showed up.
