No-one needs reminding that the weather over most of the UK has been getting worse since late December but this was merely a foretaste of the conditions during the last week.
As a teacher I’m used to the accusations that schools shut with the first sighting of a snowflake and that as a profession we are work-shy. This really isn’t the same profession I signed up for many years ago where there was still some respect for what we do.
I was stupid enough to read the ‘snow stories’ topic on the BBC website ‘Have your Say’ feature and as usual many saw this an an invitation for a little teacher bashing with some even suggesting that where schools had closed due to the weather conditions teachers should be equipped with shovels and clear the snow from people’s paths. The big argument being that the handy free child-minding service was no longer available and god forbid some people would actually have to look after their own children. Now I have every sympathy for those placed in a difficult situation with work and having raised four children we have been in similar situations ourselves but the bigger picture is still the safety of both kids and staff. Many people commented that when they were children they would have happily walked ten miles in the snow to get to school but these are the very same parents that would seize upon the lottery-like opportunity of entering into ‘no win no fee’ litigation with the school should their precious offspring get hit by a snowball. Unfortunately the knock on effect is that we now live in a world dominated by health and safety fears and you can’t have it all.
My own school hung on for several days as conditions got ever worse and for several days adopted a ‘later start – earlier finish’ policy to facilitate a safer journey to and from school. However the snowfall overnight on Thursday was exceptionally bad and on Friday the school website informed one and all that the school would be closed for the day. This produced feelings of elation tinged with guilt – I’d like to say it was 50:50 but when I started to add up all the late nights, weekends and bits of so-called holiday spent in extra and unpaid work for the school I was able to cancel out the nagging guilt. Even if the general public, via the medium of the BBC talkback feature could brand me a shirker – this day was mine.
With my free day I did what school work I could from home and then we spent the rest of the day in Fritton Woods. Circumstances were such that three of our adult children were able to join us and we were able to enjoy the winter wonderland which is the forest under snow.
