Morning:
13°c
Schools play safe by barring younger pupils
Evening Standard04.02.09
THOUSANDS of children were given a third day off lessons today as schools shut again because playgrounds were judged to be too icy.
Parents faced more problems arranging childcare as at least 15 schools cancelled classes, despite improved weather conditions.
Eight schools were closed in Sutton, three in Tower Hamlets and Quintin Kynaston secondary school in St John's Wood was open only to GCSE and A-level exam pupils.
Jo Shuter, the school's award-winning headteacher, said younger pupils were being kept away for "health and safety reasons". The playground was too large for the school's staff to treat with its limited supply of grit, she said.
"Today we are open for the older kids but we have got issues with our playground still being full of compact snow which is now ice," she said. "It is lethal for the kids as they will throw it at each other. They will hurl it around and there will be a terrible accident.
"There is absolutely no way that I would close a school unless I was absolutely convinced it was what I had to do. It is so easy for a kid to lose their eye if a bit of ice gets thrown at them."
Younger pupils - who are "not as sensible"- will be kept at home today until gritting contractors can come in to treat the playground, she said.
Ms Shuter said staff had walked in on Monday and Tuesday and the school was open last night for a parents' evening as planned. Tony Blair was at the school in 2006 when he announced he would step down as Prime Minister.
At Westminster City school, builders who were on site already were hired to clear the playground of ice.
Parents have warned they face "terrible" difficulties trying to arrange childcare at late notice.
Margaret Morrissey, from campaign group Parents Outloud, said shutting schools sent the wrong message. Pupils might grow up thinking "you should just stay at home and have fun" when things get difficult, she said.
Yesterday, more than 1,000 schools and nurseries across London closed for a second day, leaving more than 500,000 children with no lessons.
Boroughs said most schools were re-opening again today. But in Barnet, Oak Lodge school is partially closed, while the Compton school and Mill Hill school will be opening later than usual.
In Camden, more than 30 schools and children's centres were opening again, but South Camden community college has cancelled all after-school and evening activities.
Tower Hamlets council said three schools will stay closed. A statement said: "Parents and carers should assume their child's school will be open. All schools have worked hard to ensure they will be safe for the children and we hope they will all open tomorrow.
"However, Bishop Challoner (boys and girls) and Langdon Park secondary schools will remain closed."
Reader views (8)
At Bishop Challoner school today, the students went in as no closure was announced on the radio- but were sent home at 10 o clock as very few students showed up. It was an ofsted inspection day (both today and tomorrow) and the school will remain un-open for both.
As for the supervised study sessions, i certainly wouldn't want to spen my snow afternoon doing that!
Come on Challoner, lighten up a bit!
- Bishop Challoner Student, Birmingham, England
If schools are closed-will Londoners be able to claim a proportionate rebate on their council tax?
- William Grierson, Kimpton-UK
Hola,
In the early 50's my father became the headmaster of a small primary school in a mining area of Scotland. He discovered diaries of earlier times amongs the Scool's records and one entry for a December month read " Thick snow last night, over 2 feet with much drifting, the children walked to school using the tops of the walls to get here".
The miners in these villages were determined their children should be properly educated to get them out of the pits. A real contrast to the present days attitude.
- Ayliff McNab, Spain
One of my fondest winter memories as a child was of my primary school playground in the snow. Throwing snowballs, making 'slides' and going out of our way to make them as icy as possible then queuing up to take turns seeing who could slide the furthest.
But that was before the days of wrap-them-up-in-cotton-wool health & safety...
No-one had a 'terrible accident' or any kind of accident, I don't even remember playgrounds being gritted, we all just had tremendous fun!
- Bev Osborne, Leeds UK
I agree whole-heartedly with Margaret Morrissey's comments. We are becoming a nation of takers. I assume all teachers were paid for not working. It's a bit of snow for goodness sake!
- Jackie Fowler, Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
Pathetic! No wonder kids these days are such wimps. Molly coddled by their parents and the state. What ever happened to the school caretaker gritting the play grounds? We always used to make ice slides on the playground when it was cold but I doubt the schools would allow the children to do that today from fear of them suffering injury and being sued by the parents. If we were to have a prolonger winter does that then mean that the schools would be closed for weeks on end? I don't think so for god sake England toughen up and stop being so weak.
- John Smith, Bradford
Oh my goodness, did the schools not think that the solution would be to keep the children in during breaktimes. We currently have 3" of snow and the school is still open. Not only that when we had the big freeze a few weeks ago and the playground was covered in hardpacked ice, the headmistress did not feel it necessary to close the school on 'Health and Safety' grounds. This is society gone mad.
- Shiona, Grantown-On-Spey, Scotland
"It is lethal for the kids" - this woman is in charge of making a sensible assessment of the Health And Safety issues?!! She is asserting they will be KILLED by a bit of snow?
"They will throw it around" - well, not if you do your job Dearie and exert some discipline over them!
My son's school has children out in an ice-covered playground from the age of 3 upwards for at least 4 months of the year: I can honestly say no-one gets hurt, let alone loses an eye or gets killed. Certain rules apply and miscreants are punished by writing out the rules of playground several times. The children have fabulous FUN. Health and Safety is being used as an excuse for laziness, stupidity and a scam-mongering Insurance Industry that should be receiving the same scrutiny as Banking.
Get a grip!
- Roz, Chamonix, France
