Calis Beach and Fethiye Turkey Discussion Forum
General Topics => The Debating Chamber => Topic started by: Highlander on January 06, 2010, 22:25:32 PM
-
With every respect for the job they do, why are teachers not required to at least attempt to go to their place of work during bad weather.
-
Most schools opted to close for the old excuse of health and safety. Health and Safety for the children getting to school, the H&S of the staff and there wellbeing and getting to school safely!
The school in which I work has a high number of staff that live outside the immediate area and thus a car drive is there only option. I can walk to and from work in about 15 mins and would have done today.
However, the A3 Petersfield to Horndean was closed overnight and this in itself caused huge tailbacks around the minor roads as people tried alternative routes.
Full marks go to a school in Yorkshire - which also happens to be the highest school in the country. They managed to open today.
It is down to the Heads discretion as to what he / she chooses to do. But I do think more schools should try and open even if they have to run on skeleton staff and combine classes.
-
The school I work at has 1600 pupils between 11-18, and the majority of the staff (teachers and senior staff) live out of the area. Most of the support staff (like myself) are more local, and would therefore be able to get to work, but who would want their children "taught" by unqualified people, in large groups? :(
I am perfectly capable of acting as a cover supervisor, but would still require the necessary work to be set for each lesson to keep the children on track for the national curriculum. It seems pointless getting the students into school just to give them word searches etc to fill in the day. :o
One of the main reasons why schools are closed (I believe) - it is just not safe for staff to travel long distances (as warned on the news), or for buses full of children, to be out and about on icy roads. It is just too risky (health and safety again). We have all been warned to venture out "in emergencies only". There are too many people about today who just can't wait to put in a claim against the school if anything goes wrong. [|)]
On the news earlier, they said that a lot of schools were closed today to keep traffic to a minimum, to give them a chance to grit roads (like they didn't know the snow was coming!!!) :P
I thought it was the local council, as well as the Head, who decide whether or not schools should open, but I could be (and probably am) wrong!! :P
I know some people will say that years ago children used to walk to school. Some of our pupils live up to 10 miles away, and I, as a parent, wouldn't want my kids to be walking to school for more than a couple of miles maximum, and even then, not at 11 years of age, when it's barely light at 8am. 8)
Maybe the older pupils could make more effort and be covered by skeleton staff, especially those about to sit GCSE's or A levels [?]
(It's still nice though having a couple of unexpected days off!! :P :o :) )
-
Where's your response gone H? It makes my reply below look even more nonsense than it possibly is!!!! Anyway, here goes:-
How many parents would keep their kids off though because of the weather, worrying about travelling etc? And how many kids would truant to play out in the snow? We don't see much of it (thank god!) especially in our area.
Teachers could struggle to get into work, travelling 50+ miles, congesting the roads further, to teach classes with half the kids missing.
I personally would not keep my kids home if school was open - I also believe they should be in school. Unfortunately (and I deal with parents every day of the week) a lot of parents don't think the same as I do.
Again, only my opinion. And I can understand what you are saying H.
Certainly not my fault that I have been told to stay home today and tomorrow! I am only support staff, paid a pittance (not for any of the 13 weeks holidays each year - they are all unpaid) so I'm happy to have a couple of extra days off!
There are plenty of people in other jobs not able to get into work at the moment, and also plenty of others walking miles to make sure they do!!!
-
Jules - it's a little late and I must refrain from getting on yet another of my high horses.
But here's a really stupid suggestion. When the weather is bad and the kids are correctly told to stay at home on Health & Safety grounds, get the Head to email all of his/her staff and tell them to get into work because an In-Service Day as been brought forward while the kids are off.
-
quote:
Originally posted by julesbob0303
Where's your response gone H? It makes my reply below look even more nonsense than it possibly is!!!! Anyway, here goes:-
How many parents would keep their kids off though because of the weather, worrying about travelling etc? And how many kids would truant to play out in the snow? We don't see much of it (thank god!) especially in our area.
Teachers could struggle to get into work, travelling 50+ miles, congesting the roads further, to teach classes with half the kids missing.
I personally would not keep my kids home if school was open - I also believe they should be in school. Unfortunately (and I deal with parents every day of the week) a lot of parents don't think the same as I do.
Again, only my opinion. And I can understand what you are saying H.
Certainly not my fault that I have been told to stay home today and tomorrow! I am only support staff, paid a pittance (not for any of the 13 weeks holidays each year - they are all unpaid) so I'm happy to have a couple of extra days off!
There are plenty of people in other jobs not able to get into work at the moment, and also plenty of others walking miles to make sure they do!!!
Jules - deleted my response because I'd let my mouth open before giving my brain a chance to engage - a common fault.
I can see the arguement regarding the kids and Health & Safety grounds but not when it comes to adults.
If the authorities consider it prudent tom close the school to kids, so be it, but that should not stop the teachers going in and working on things that they would not normally have the time to work on.
Rant over.
PS I well remember "upsetting" you previously on here regarding unpaid holidays and you putting me straight on the matter, so do enjoy your couple of "extra" days.
-
In defence of teachers they already work over their contracted hours when they take marking home so I am sure they are not sitting at home idly. No point going into school if they can work from home.
Could it be that it is easier to shut a school rather than try to phone hundreds of parents to come and collect children if weather does turn severe.
I remember being sent home from school in bad weather because half the class stayed out of the village above the snow line. They and teachers had to go home for safety reasons and the rest of us benefitted:D
-
quote:
Originally posted by heather07
In defence of teachers they already work over their contracted hours when they take marking home
Like they didn't know that they would have to do that when they trained as a teacher
-
I am sure they did GB. It doesn't mean to say it is right.
-
Heather07 I agree with you completely, I am the school office admin and I know for a fact that if our school had opened then only 50% of the children would have made it in, some ringing with lame excuses to say that their children were ill, some ringing in honestly saying that its snowed and they are all going out to enjoy it as a family....
If my school opens I can leave one daughter here at home, but the younger one would still have to come with me, how many other teachers, support staff, office admins have their own children and would have to take them in they do not have family or friends to help them out.
I too am enjoying the extra days with my family - we have been to the pub for lunch and sleding - something which we have not done before here in Hampshire - sleding that is....
A friend who is a deputy head at a local village school which was also closed met us for one drink at the pub then she went back home to continue with the work she had brought home to do.
-
quote:
Originally posted by heather07
I am sure they did GB. It doesn't mean to say it is right.
Or wrong - don't get me wrong I worked in a school for many years and good teachers are the most inspiring people whilst bad ones are all too common, but I know how protected teachers are in comparison to administrators or indeed workers in other sectors. :-\
-
quote:
Originally posted by julesbob0303
The school I work at has 1600 pupils between 11-18, and the majority of the staff (teachers and senior staff) live out of the area. Most of the support staff (like myself) are more local, and would therefore be able to get to work, but who would want their children "taught" by unqualified people, in large groups? :(
If there was common sense then staff would be asked to make it in to a local school rather than the one they possibly travel several miles to get too on a normal working day.
-
I think a major contributor to this problem, i.e. people not being able to get into work, be they teachers or whatever, is that as the majority of the UK has enjoyed so many snow free winters over the last 10 or 15 years, that people are not comfortable driving in these conditions. More and more people are working outside of their home towns, making it very difficult when there is snow and ice. I passed my driving test 18 years ago and have never driven in snow. I am not sure that I would handle it particularly well either...luckily I only have the roads of Turkey to contend with these days.
Another problem is the media scaring folk into not going out...maybe they would serve us better by giving tips on safe driving in the snow and ice.
-
Another problem is that there are 10 times+ more cars on the road since we all went to school. Hence it can take 3 hours to travel a mile. IN my day you could travel a mile in the snow and not see another car.
-
I remember going to school during winter of 1963 in short trousers as stoop states no cars on the road as most didn't have one. we walked, and if teachers have to drive 50 miles they are in the wrong school. As most childern's parents work to pay to keep a roof over their families head and pay taxes to enable teachers and other "Key workers" employered on far better terms and conditions that they themselves enjoy.Many super market workers won't get paid if they don't make up the hours lost by them not getting to work due to the fact they have to stay at home and look after the kids.Buy some wellingtons and walk ;)
-
A car in our day ,you must have been realy posh Stoop,I used to walk. ;)
-
Cars weren't invented in his day, I think that's what he means :)
-
Teacher bashing comes around every year , like the conker season.
I taught maths to 'A' level for 9 years but gave it up in 1980( I didn't like the way authority was being taken from teachers) and got a job designing computer software for nuclear submarines. I know which I would rather do.
Would all those people who like to knock teachers please state what their job is so that we can all have a go at estate agents, solicitors, accountants, plumbers, electricians etc. etc.
-
I used to work at the local School as a secretary and I know, like any other job some teachers are dedicated and some are not. We had a great Head Teacher who moved heaven and earth to keep the school open. He was so admired by all the kids and the parents, he was a pleasure to work for. Of course, he was poached to go to a desk job by the region. When he left we got another Head Teacher. The first week he was there I went to speak to him, he was not in his class, the kids where alone, when I when to the staff room he was on the phone to a chemist in his previous town asking what the brand of bunion cream was he used to buy!!! I think you can guess that he did everything he could to get a day off. I am not knocking any good teacher but teachers are all not dedicated angels.
-
I have worked as an exams officer in a school as well the cover organiser - I had never seen teachers I a bad light until I worked with them. Now I work as an administrator in a university - I have made it into University every single day and the University was open - the school next door was closed!
-
As a care worker it is essential that I get out to my clients whatever the weather, fortunately for me I am having two weeks holiday at the moment but in the heavy snow we had in the south before christmas my job was seriously hampered by abandoned cars on a number of occasions, in these conditions I think it is farcical to expect teachers to attempt to get to schools if they know the children will not be there, its a waste of time and makes the roads dangerous for essential workers.
-
I think the teachers are lucky to be given the time off and paid for it. I have to drive 26 miles to get to work. I am a veterinary nurse and i dont think owners would be impressed or understand if when their treasured pooch is ill, nobody was there to treat it. unfortunately i wouldnt get paid either if i didnt go to work. And sadly i do not get paid anywhere near what teachers get paid. i have taught in the past however and enjoyed the fantastic wages but missed the animals. Luckily my children are old enough not to cause issues with childcare whilst i HAVE to go to work and schools and nurseries are closed, unlike some of the other staff.
-
Along with the Head, Governors, staff, parents and their partners Marc and I helped to clear the school (where I work and my youngest child attends) of snow. We have made enough spaces for the staff that live out of the area to be able to park their cars and the path ways clear for the children to walk on.
We have requested that the parents walk with their children, as the roads around the school are still quite slippery, surrounding roads being on hills and slopes. The children do not have to wear their uniform so that they are warm and comfortable.
I am part time but have spent the last few days sorting through cupboards to find surplus materials etc for the crafts that are on going and searching through our National Geographic magazines to see what ones can be used for this terms topics.
I do not agree with the closing of all the schools, however when too many staff live out of the area in the villages that are not yet cleared of snow and fallen trees we can only open when we have enough staff to be able to cover the classes.
-
Hello, I am just learning my way around this forum and catching up with previous topics. I to work in the Care Sector in a residential home for the elderly, if myself and my colleagues and thousands of others in the country hadn't made it to work for WHATEVER reason during the big freeze there would have been a public outcry, and rightly so. :). Lynn