Parents have been left frustrated and angry after schools across Yorkshire announced they would once again be closed today due to snow and ice.
While the worst of the snow fell last weekend after an amber weather warning was put in place across the region, it has not yet melted in many places. Temperatures have also plummeted, meaning the snow has been replaced by ice in some areas.
As a result, some schools have been unable to open for the past four days, causing disruption to many parents and pupils. Now, a number of those parents are speaking out, with some saying the schools need to reopen, while many others blame the conditions of the streets.
Posting on YorkshireLive’s Facebook page, Helen Maginess wrote: “The schools that are closed are only closed due to surrounding streets that are unsafe for kids to walk on to get to school! It’s disgusting. Certainly not the school’s fault”. Beverley Shaw penned: “In the past schools would open but health and safety now drives activities. It’s one of those where if something happened people would be saying why did they open. One of those where you probably can’t win.
“The wider question is what support is there and activities to make sure as many routes are safe and clear as possible. By me the roads are simply ice rinks no grit bins nothing and we lead onto a sub main road.”
Meanwhile Steven Wheatley wrote: “Feel sorry for the parents who work, having to take time off work or finding child care, just because of a bit of ice and left over snow on the road and paths, we all managed to get to school when I was a kid”.
Janine Hughes said: “Not all some have remained open actually put the effort in to do so it’s pathetic kids are being taught to be negative should be get up & go people do live in countries we’re it snows a lot more than this get on with it”. Ian Kilroy went on to say: “5 days after, 3 inch of snow fell, joke, an absolute joke.”
Karen Hutchinson went on to explain the reasoning behind many of the closures, saying: “Safety of children and employees, is a higher priority than many years ago. Schools have to assess how safe their premises are for children to access and quite apart from outside being clear and gritted, the school needs to have a safe environment, plus staff to care for and teach the children.
“If staff aren’t able to get there, (or have had an injury whilst trying to get there), the school can’t provide a safe environment. There was less of an issue many years ago, when children and staff lived in reasonable walking distance from their ‘local’ school. Many ‘local’ schools were shut by the council, making children travel further.
“The era of commuting brought it’s own problems, one of them, travel. Where safety is an issue, decisions have to be made sooner rather than later and flexibility to do what is in the best interest of children, is key.”
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