Should schools close when it snows?
We woke up to nearly five inches of snow covering our garden, the trees, the rooftops. It was really quite magical. Like being on holiday.
But it’s Thursday, a school day, and we were not in the Alps. We were waiting for the email from school. Would it, wouldn’t it, would it, wouldn’t it. Be open, that is.
Our head teacher is from Scotland, and made of stern stuff. Yes of course school was open. Enough teachers were in, there was ample food in the freezer for school dinners, they could have a snowman competition on the field. Life, and studies, would go on.
But should it? Despite our bad weather reputation, we don’t get that many snowy days in the UK. Should we just get on with it, or should we let the kids have a bit of fun while they can?
There were two camps at the school gate. Those that were elated that they wouldn’t have a hoard of children at home all day (me!) and those that were annoyed that school was open.
Having grown up in a warmer climate, the snow day concept is foreign to me. The only time my school closed was if there was a strike. And my parents were both teachers, so there was really no time off.
Despite school being on, my kids had loads of fun anyway. We woke up early, got on the snow gear, and played outside for an hour. Quite honestly that was enough. They started to get cold. Then we got on the uniform and slid down to school where they could get on with learning and be with their friends.
“We shouldn’t be open — the children need a childhood,” one mum grunted to me at the school gate. I nodded, smiling away, convinced there really was a God. And he was Scottish.
So what do you think. Should schools stay open? Should they close? Are we depriving our children of their childhood?
Photo credit: Lee Jordan
Nick | 6th Jan 10
How often do we get snow now in the UK? Its incredibly rare, kids should get the day off when it happens! There is nothing worse than being stuck in a classroom watching snow falling past the window while you are learning about the hypotenuse of a triangle(or whatever the topic happens to be)!
Treemama | 8th Feb 09
our schools here close at the drop of a flake, seriously! we are rural and the back roads can get nasty but as a single working mom every time school closes it becomes a last minute, ACK! What to do with the kids today.
Without family the flubug/snowdays would have me permanently out of work.
Lisa M | 8th Feb 09
ah, GOOD for you. I would have had my kiddos stay home too. I’m probably giving away my age here, but the ONE time we got snow here in Silicon Valley our parents let us stay home also. I NEVER forgot that experience. Of course, the snow melted before we could really play in it or anything lol.
I hope they had a lot of fun!
BTW, just read the TIME article that talked about London practically shutting down because of the snow.
Wish it would snow here in San Jose!
tawny | 8th Feb 09
What annoys me is the schools know the weather is coming, my daughters school is really close by, but she only went on Wednesday as it was closed the rest of the week. I think when we were kids more teachers lived locally and now they don’t. If the teachers can’t get in then there is no one to supervise the children.
Iota | 7th Feb 09
It’s tough on working parents if a school closes and their workplace doesn’t. I don’t agree with Erica. Some people just don’t have those kind of choices – it’s not always about selfishly pursuing a high-flying career.
It’s a pity schools don’t make more use of the snow themselves. Can’t they have extended recess, and let the kids enjoy a snowball fight in the playground? I suppose they don’t want broken limbs, and dripping wet kids, and they can’t guarantee that all kids will bring appropriate outerwear.
I don’t think schools should close for the sake of giving children a childhood (because let’s face it, there’ll be lots of children who’ll spend that day sitting in front of the tv, not outside building a snowman). But I don’t think they should be mind if parents who want to, keep their children at home for the day.
Bush Mummy | 6th Feb 09
Photo tag for you at my place..
BM x
More than Just a Mother | 6th Feb 09
Excellent post.
I don’t think schools should close to ‘give children a childhood’; that’s frankly ridiculous. Going to school is as much part of childhood as scrumping for apples and making snowmen (and drawing on duck egg blue cupboards, Home Office Mum 😉 ) Schools and nurseries should close only if it would be dangerous for them to remain open.
Oh and Erica, my priorities are indeed my children, but sadly some of us have to work to pay the mortgage and clothe those children.
Wife in Hong Kong | 6th Feb 09
I grew up in Essex, on about the only hill in that county as it happens. When it snowed the school bus couldn’t get up the hill. We would go out and wait and then after a long cold time run home to change into civvies and go tobogganing. The school was open for those who could make it but it was accepted that those coming from further afield would have problems and not get in. One year we were photographed by the local paper having fun in the snow and it was put on the front page of the Essex Chronicle. The following Monday in school we got a dressing down from our teacher who’d seen the picture and said we ought not to have been having fun at home. But what sort of sad child would have stayed in and studied when there was fun to be had outside? I don’t think schools should close. It’s unfair to mothers who work. They should stay open for the children who can get there, staff levels permitting.
Maureen | 5th Feb 09
I’m from Minnesota so I always roll my eyes when everyone gets excited over the usual tiny amount of snow we normally see in the southeastern corner of England (especially near and in London) but I will say that this week’s snowfall was very unusual indeed and that I can well-understand the decision by most headteachers to close their school. The parents and children have the option to walk to school but a lot of the teachers have to drive in and the roads were not all ploughed and salted or gritted.
I also have to say that I agree with other comments about views by some working parents. School is not a child-minding service!
Antonella | 5th Feb 09
I think schools should close only if they do not have enough staff to care/look after the pupils. Yes, a lot of parents rely on schools to look after their children and why not? As we have the duty to send our kids to schools, the school system has a duty to educate our kids. Most parents cannot afford or cannot arrange childcare at short notice, so I repeat that schools should be close only as matter of urgency and not just because of a couple of inches of snow. With regard to depriving our kids of their childhood, because they canno play in the snow, I think that’s a lot of rubbish. If they really want to play with snow, they can enjoy themselves before or after school and I know that a lot of schools let the children play in the snow during the lunch break as well. They have enough holidays throughout the year anyway! Ciao. A.
Potty Mummy | 5th Feb 09
Lots of comments on this one! I think the whole snow day issue depends very much on location. If you’re in the country side then I fully agree, sometimes – as on Monday – it’s too dangerous to be on the roads. (Hell, I even chose not to drive down the road to Sainsbury’s, not because I didn’t want to drive on snow but because I didn’t fancy the slope up to the car park…)
In London though, I’m sorry, but most kids CAN get to school. It’s the teachers that have the problem, I understand that, with the crazy house prices usually meaning they can’t live too close to work. Having said that, whilst my son’s school was understandably closed on Monday, on Tuesday they had a skeleton staff in for those children who’s parents had emergency childcare issues. That seems like a sensible compromise to me.
Tara@Sticky Fingers | 5th Feb 09
I remember being at school and the only way they would ever close is if the pipes burst!
My son’s school closed and yet his sister’s nursery just up the road opened and getting there was fine – and I’m in a quite rural area.
Someone told me today that it is fear of legal action that can tip the scales these days – if someone falls over in an untreated playground or a teacher slips on an ungritted car park, they fear they will be sued.
Nice eh?
Homeofficemum | 5th Feb 09
They absolutely should stay open because otherwise your children – who are too cold to stay in the snow any longer – get red permanent markers out and decide in a fit of boredom that your brand new duck egg blue kitchen cupboards need a face lift.
jenny smith | 5th Feb 09
I have mixed feelings about this. On monday our school was the only one to be open in the borough. I didn’t send Son simply ‘cos i was worried about picking him up later (more snow was predicted).
It turned out that he had to close the school at 12 ‘cos the school dinners couldn’t be delivered. Left him with egg on his face. Felt a bit sorry for him actually xxxxx
Lis of the North | 5th Feb 09
No! Schools should stay open. Children living in outlying areas who can’t safely travel in to school should be excused. The only reason for a school closure is if the heating fails or if snow makes the school premises themselves dangerous.
I grew up in Scotland: we had snow every winter but never a snow day. Come on, folks, buck your ideas up!
Audrey | 5th Feb 09
My kids have gone to school all week and I’m the one that feels kind of “snow day deprived.” So when the school website said this moring that the road outside school wasn’t plowed yet I took full advantage and declared it an official day off.
It was about 3 hours and 47 minutes until I started to feel like Jack Nicholoson in “The Shining.” That’ll teach me.
SingleParentDad | 5th Feb 09
I was very annoyed today that they had shut the school/nursery, as it was open for breakfast club (7-30), and closed sometime while we were on our way round (8-40).
To me an absolute indictment on what I already suspect of the head – poor decision maker. What I mean is, everyone, especially those travelling by car, had already arrived. And having got that far, to me, the most sensible approach would have been to continue and take advice on the weather. But, instead, having turned everyone round at the school gate (As the website said they were open and we going to keep an eye on the weather) they ended up making everyone travel the journey twice, in the worst of today’s weather conditions.
I have no problem with the school being closed when the conditions are such that it is dangerous to be open, but this has annoyed me, as it raises concerns on the handling of other ‘difficult’ decisions.
She looks absolutely silly from today’s escapade, made worse by the fat that by 9-30 the conditions were as good as, if not better, than they have been since Monday morning.
Not a logistical nightmare to me, as Max played at a friends this morning, and we reversed the favour this afternoon. Also taking in two strays whose folks who still wanted to get paid today.
TooManyHats | 5th Feb 09
Susanna, it sounds like you got the best of both worlds that day. How very clever of you to get the girls up early to enjoy some snow play before school – hey what time does school start there – it starts no later than 8:00 around here and that would mean playing in the snow, which we never get, at 6:00am before the sun was up.
Honestly, for those that felt kids needed more of a childhood why didn’t they just keep their kids home and call them in sick or something. I think as parents we still maintain the right to make decisions like that for our children, or at least I hope we do.
Erica | 5th Feb 09
I understand, sometimes I struggle to find childare too, but my point is that school isn’t a childminding service. It’s a service provided by our country (paid for by us) to educate our children. It’s not there to provide ‘cover’ while we work.
If, for whatever reason school is closed, it’s our responsibility to find cover, we are the parents.
I don’t think it helps that our country seems to determined to have us all in full time work regardless of our parenting situation, perhaps thats why we feel they ‘owe us’ to keep schools open?
Nappy valley girl | 5th Feb 09
I think if it’s so snowy that staff and children can’t get to work, that’s fair enough.
But on Tuesday, my boys’ nursery was still closed, despite all the buses and tubes running in London. No doubt it was some health and safety issue. But I had to work, and as a freelancer if I don’t do the work I don’t get paid, so my husband had to take the morning off. And he is a doctor – a so-called key worker!
Erica, I see what you are saying but not all women are lucky enough to work in a job that is flexible, or have childcare backup. I don’t have a mother or a mother in law that can step in to help and it’s often very difficult if the nursery/school is closed!
Thatgirl39 | 5th Feb 09
Oohh… good one! A nice little hot potato! I can see both angles here. When we were kids we just got on with it and went in, unless the heating was broken of course! But now with Health & Safety gone slightly OTT, things wont be the same. I can see that a mum who works might get stressed about it because, as much as our kids may be a priority, some people have to work and flexible, understanding employers are hard to come by! I know… I had one who was and one who wasn’t! But I wouldn’t want to get the call to say my child had fallen and broken their leg either.
Liz | 5th Feb 09
I must admit I don’t really mind either way, but my daughter’s school has been open all week. She thinks it’s great as she can play with her friends in the snow – rather than being home with me, apparently I’m not as good building snowmen!
Kate | 5th Feb 09
No I don’t think they should. Any kids who can’t get in should be excused, but for the others it seems like an overreaction.
Erica | 5th Feb 09
I don’t really mind either way, but it annoys me when the working mums (see Alpha Mummy blog’s article and comments)think that schools should be open merely to act as a childminding service so they can pursue their high-powered careers.
A lot of criticism of teachers, which I think is uncalled for.
Note, I have nothing against working mums, I work, I just think if you have children they should be your priority, and if you do work in a job that isn’t so flexible you should get your childcare/back-up sorted and stop whinging about the teachers and schools.
Sorry, off on a tangent here.
Expat Mum | 5th Feb 09
I don’t understand the idea that just because it’s snowing, the kids should be allowed “a childhood” and the day off. Schools should be closed if the heating breaks down or the roof has collapsed. If parents can’t get their kids to school then never mind.
Can you tell I live in Chicago where we go to school come what may?
Laura | 5th Feb 09
I remember snow days as a child. Like you say though there is only so much playing in the snow one child can take!
My daughters school shut the last time it snowed because they didn’t have any grit. That annoyed me.
On Tuesday all the schools in the district were shut regardless so I walked to work and the children stayed at home with the husband who works from home. They played in the snow, but they would have had a great play in the snow after school had school been open.
Maybe I’m just bitter – If I take time off for the kids I have to take it as holiday!