School closures continued

I was rung up during work by a radio station asking if I wanted to comment on some internet campaign to scrap half term to make up for time lost during the icy spell. I didn’t really feel strongly either way. I could see the NUT’s point that people would have made plans for half term already. Plus not all schools that have been closed have been closed for the same number of days. Some have only been closed one day. It seems a bit excessive then to cut the whole half term because it is there for a reason – the kids need a break. I sympathise too with the businesses affected and, of course, with parents who have had to take time off unpaid or take the days off as leave since leave doesn’t nearly cover all the school holidays in the first place. The thing is it seems we are destined to have more "weather events" in the future. Look at what’s happening all round the world. Barely a few months pass without some horrendous weather event occurring as our climate becomes more and more unpredictable.

Longer term planning is needed. I know I am a big advocate of flexible working so hardly unbiased and, of course, some jobs can’t be done from home, but flexible working must be a big part of the solution. I managed to plough on as normal, more or less, through the snow by working from home and working round the kids, ie later nights/earlier mornings [they had a few lie-ins…]. By all means, get more and better types of grit too, but what about the floods and other events we are becoming more prone to? We surely need to think more carefully about the future. We can’t keep on keeping on as if nothing is happening.
 
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