Like many parents I was again left incensed by the ease with which schools simply close up when there’s snow…but it seems Ofsted (that bastion of ensuring standards) may actually be to blame.

Unfortunately we live in an age when teachers – who get loads more holiday than anyone else in the working world – believe that a little bad weather means they should have the day off school.

Without wishing to go on about this too much, surely if you take a job – any job – you agree with your employer to turn up on time and do the work you are paid for.

Whether you are a teacher, shopworker or office worker you have a responsibility to your employer.

Live too far away from your workplace? That’s your choice, think about it before you take the job on. If it’s going to snow, then if you live too far away, then make arrangements to stay nearby or of course, take it as a holiday day.

But, with teachers setting the appalling example to our children, we now have a culture in Britain where snow means take a day off. Fortunately, police officers, doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers seem to be better able to get into work than most.

And while you hear people say “I can’t get to work” you never seem to hear “I can’t get home”. This is Britain not Siberia.

So, back to teachers who finished their two-week Christmas break just in time for their annual fistful of snow days.

Why you ask do so many schools close?

Well it seems that watchdog Ofsted may really be to blame. Attendance is one of the standards by which school performance is judged.

And if the school opens on a snowy day and children do stay at home, the school will be penalised.

However, if it closes for the day because of snow, Oftsed marks it with 100 per cent attendance.

So now you know.

In our school it is not the teachers who make the decision to close, it's the Headteacher so please do not blame the teachers. In my school we ALL went to work every day and completed our 9 hour working day in school and still took work home every night.

I am a teacher, and had been perfectly prepared to get into work, and did on two days when some neighbours(not teachers)did not. It is not teachers who decide if a school is shut it is a decision made by a headteacher based quite rightly on a specific set of circumstances. If the school site is dangerous or icy ( there is only so much caretakers can do to prevent this) I can guarantee some litigious parents might see this as a cash cow for minor accidents. The roads outside many schools including footpaths were dangerously icy this year as these were not gritted. Also I am not aware of any of my collegues who had a 'holiday'. I used it to plan lessons and to catch up with the mountain of work teachers usually work late into the night in order to stay on top off, and more often than not on the weekends and during 'holidays'. If teaching was so easy and teachers so'lazy' one wonders why so many have left and leave the profession early? Actually as a late entrant to the profession myself my previous career was much less stressful and involved much less work. Also no one seems to mention teachers are doomed never to get a cheap holiday during termtime! If I wanted a 'lazy' job I could go and do some office work, then I might have time to indulge in facebook, twitter etc. However ultimately I am a professional, who wishes to impart the best quality education I can to tomorrows workforce, so I suppose I shall remain in the classroom.

Another snow day, another holiday for teachers in 200 Kent schools. It's wrong surely.

Regarding the comment by Gavin. I'm sure not all teachers want to take the day off, but his 'litigious parents would sue' is a spurious excuse, if their kids arrived at the school to discover it was closed, as many youngsters still do, and they slipped it'd be the same problem.

Oh, and secondly, tomorrow's takes an apostrophe.

Whatever happened to teachers going to their nearest school, as it says in their contracts?

Signed, a parent who has to take the day off and lose pay because of teachers failing to do their jobs

To the above poster; What absolute tripe! Teachers do not close the school, it is the decision of the head teacher. This has already been explained. Therefore, I can only assume that you are simple.

I'm 54 years old and returned to teaching 6 years ago after an absence of 26 years. I'm now a Leader of Learning Support which means I have legal responsibility for the learning and psychological well being 0f 170 children in my secondary school. I work a minimum 80 hour week, sometimes 90 hours, and take a 2 week break in the summer punctuated by emails and yet more preparation and paperwork. By the way, if you add it all up, I'm not very far off the minimum wage.

So you think it's easy? Why not abandon your job (if you have one), get yourself trained, and enjoy the life you describe and I experience?

I love my job - it's hugely important and I'm making a contribution to the future of our community and country. A tiny bit of recognition would be very gratefully received and much more valuable than an ill-informed, ill-considered, rant.

As a teacher living in Shetland (as far north in Britain you can get before you hit the arctic circle) we have had a large amount of snow (which is expected and prepared for), but we still have school closures.

The reasons schools close (a descision made by governors, head teachers, public transport and the teaching authority) are  largely due to the safety of the children- not necessarily whilst they are on school grounds but whilst they are travelling to school. There is a huge reposnability placed on the school for children's welfare (including travelling to and from school- hence crossing patrols and teachers at train stations and bus stops- our responsability does not end the moment they cross the threshold into public space.

 Decisons have to be made early enough so that children are not bussed etc to school. Undoubtably there are times when the snow clears, ice melts etc but as happened in Shetland on one occassion this year the snow came during the day and the children became isolated - thankfully we have provsions made for this including hostels and 'snow trains'- (tractors and trucks with snow plows attached to them that cars can follow)

I  made the mistake of travelling to work and was terrified by the lack of traction and obvious danger- had I been a bus driver with a coach full of kids I would have not gone.

 

With regards to teachers holidays, this is government policy not the teachers and the majority of teachers actually spend a significant amount of time during the holidays actually in school, preparing lessons, developing schemes of work and lesson plans and trawling through huge amounts of data in order to give their student's an individualised and tailor made education (which may shock those who thought teachers used the magical book with the answers in the back as their inspiration rather than as a guideline)

I am really angered by Gary's comments. How ignorant. As the comments have said, the Headteacher closes the school. All teachers who can make it in safely, do so.

As for the holiday comments.  Teachers work more hours term time than people seem to realise. Jealous of our holidays and 'lazniness'? I suggest you become a teacher Gary.

Perhaps it would be an education for you.

Just for the record - I teach at the Westwood (Action for Children) School, Broadstairs.   We have not closed once for snow this year. Last Thursday, when it was clearly unwise to drive, I walked two miles through the snow to school and then two miles home in the evening. Each and every member of our staff was in school and working.  And how many pupils attended that day? The answer - NONE!

Before you write, type or e-mail letters complaining about teachers just stop to think about the people who taught you these skills!

Just a note to Mr Gavin Gray.  My colleagues and I work in a school office.  We agree with most of your comments re the school closures due to the snow but how dare you imply that office workers are 'lazy'.  We all work hard in this school office.  Its teachers like you who think they are a cut above the admin staff. Thank goodness we work as a team at this school, whether we are teachers or 'office staff.

Just a note to Mr Gavin Gray.  My colleagues and I work in a school office.  We agree with most of your comments re the school closures due to the snow but how dare you imply that office workers are 'lazy'.  We all work hard in this school office.  Its  a shame that teachers like you  think they are a cut above the admin staff.  Thank goodness we work as a team at this school, whether we are teachers or 'office staff.

Well thanks for the comments.

But Jean if you read each of your colleagues' comments you might understand my concern for my children not receiving as many of their proper school days as possible.

Fortunately my spelling was not 'taught' by today's teachers, some of whom we have commenting here.

Perhaps teachers were different in the seventies and maybe O'levels were tougher than GCSEs (could that herald a campaign to bring them back, I wonder?)

Have a look and, alongside the poor spelling seen here, I'm not convinced many of you are too familiar with the use of an apostrophe, or even a capital letter in some cases.

You're responsible for the next generation – I rely on people like you to teach my children and it disappoints me to see you don't worry about correcting errors like those seen here.

(Late entrant Gavin Gray: 'tomorrows',  Dan from Shetland: 'Undoubtably' 'reposnability)

I visited the Disney empire in Florida 15 years ago. In Orlando unemployment was virtually zero because of the jobs in the leisure industry.

One of the Disney bosses told me he would never have imagined that the organisation would have to teach new employees basic reading and writing but that is what it was forced to do.

I am involved in training journalists and also teach journalism undergraduates. I would say that good basic English skills are a rarity and I blame our schools, alongside the text and email culture which dominates teenage communication.
 
While I have some admiration for teachers, their whining about not being able to get to work does grate with many parents.

And if you are going to disagree, I expect it to be in an articulate and accurate manner. It's the least I, and other parents, should expect from the profession.

I work in a school - which did stay open - most teachers, office staff, caretakers and cleaners came in - only about 10% of our students did!!  I used to have the same views about schools when my children attended - now I have worked in one for 9 years I can see the hard work that is put in by teaching staff.  Most teachers come in during the holidays and work late into the evening (with marking, lesson planning etc). I think anyone who thinks it is an easy option should give it a try - too many parents blame teachers and school for their children's behaviour, when good manners/behaviour and politeness should be instilled at home.   When we have to send a child home for any incident in school -  the parent does not like the inconvenience of having to look after their own child.

So Gary, you "teach journalism undergraduates" and train journalists and you always talk about the responsibility of educating our future generation.

Well, I entrust you tell your students just how tough it is to get into journalism, how low the pay is and how unstable the indsutry is? The likelihood is that many, if not most, students learning journalism will not get a job in their chosen field (despite parting with cash for the courses).

To explain the reality of journalism right now would be the responsible approach to take from someone keen to preach to others.

I am a journalist myself - and know first-hand how badly the industry is doing. However, I wouldn't dare begin to preach about someone else's profession in such a manner without finding out the proper circumstances.

Perhaps you could to do work experience in a school to see what it's really like? Or maybe - if it's such a great profession - become a full-time teacher?